Gideon Tumwijukye | Tayari News
Residents of Kahama Village in Kafunjo Parish, Buhara Sub-County, Kabale District, are in shock following a tragic lightning strike that claimed the lives of three pupils from Bwera Primary School.
The incident occurred on Sunday evening at around 5:00 p.m. during a heavy downpour. The victims were reportedly sheltering inside their home kitchen at the time, as rain intensified, while their parents were away.
The deceased have been identified as 13-year-old Faith Namanya, a Primary Five pupil and daughter of Ronald Rukarekwaho; 13-year-old Daphine Musimiseki, a Primary Four pupil; and 4-year-old Shine Ainebyona, a nursery pupil. Daphine and Shine were daughters of Yosam Tukwasibwe. According to local leaders, two of the victims were sisters, while the third was their neighbor.
Preliminary reports indicate that lightning struck the house, killing the children instantly. The incident has left the families devastated and the entire community grieving the loss of the young lives.
The head teacher of Bwera Primary School, Edson Bikworwomuhangi, described the tragedy as deeply painful to both the school and the surrounding community.
“This is a very painful loss to us as a school and to the entire community. We have lost young learners with great potential,” Bikworwomuhangi said.
He noted that the school has never experienced such an incident before, adding that the loss of the pupils is a big setback.
“This is the first time we are experiencing such a tragedy. It is something beyond our control because it is a natural disaster,” he added.
Bikworwomuhangi further called for support and prayers for the affected families during this difficult time.
Meanwhile, the LC1 Chairperson of Kahama Village, Jonan Turihohabwe, expressed concern over communication challenges during emergencies.
“We tried to contact the police immediately after the incident, but we could not reach them in time,” Turihohabwe said.
He added that the delay in communication affected the timely response to the tragedy.
“This shows that we still have gaps in emergency response, especially in rural areas,” he noted.