Health1 min read

Ugandan police investigate deaths of four pupils in suspected school poisoning

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Four girls aged between nine and 11 died on Tuesday after eight pupils consumed oranges brought and shared by a fellow student at Ta'aliim Primary School and Quran Memorisation Centre. Three of the victims died at home, a fourth passed away in a hospital, and a fifth affected child remains under medical care. Detectives have arrested the school's head teacher and plan to visit the source village where the oranges were gathered. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from parents who accused school administrators of failing to provide timely and clear updates.

Key points

  • Police have cordoned off the Kampala school as a crime scene and plan to inspect the vill…: Police have cordoned off the Kampala school as a crime scene and plan to inspect the village source of the fruit.
  • Grieving parents have accused the school administration of failing to provide prompt, tra…: Grieving parents have accused the school administration of failing to provide prompt, transparent communication during the emergency.
  • The incident has renewed public demands for stricter monitoring of school feeding program…: The incident has renewed public demands for stricter monitoring of school feeding programmes and improved hygiene standards nationwide.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

- Published

Ugandan police are investigating the deaths of four pupils at a school in the capital Kampala which they suspect may be the result of poisoning.

The four girls, aged between nine and 11 years, died on Tuesday. Three of the pupils died at home while the fourth passed away while receiving emergency treatment at a hospital.

The head teacher at the school, Ta'aliim Primary School and Quran Memorisation Centre, has been arrested to assist with investigations.

According to the school, eight pupils had eaten oranges shared by a fellow pupil.

Five pupils, including the four who later died, started vomiting. The fifth is still in hospital.

Post-mortem examinations are being carried out to determine the exact cause of death.

A police spokesperson was quoted by local media as saying that detectives would visit the village where the oranges the pupils ate came from.

The centre has been cordoned off as a crime scene.

Ugandan media shared videos of grieving parents describing their children's final moments, with some accusing the school of failing to provide clear and timely information.

Health