Four pupils die in Kampala as police investigate suspected poisoning

Police in Uganda are investigating suspected poisoning after four girls attending a school in the capital, Kampala, died on Tuesday. The pupils were aged between nine and 11. Investigators have yet to establish the exact cause of their deaths, and post-mortem examinations are being carried out as part of the inquiry.

Three of the girls died at home, while the fourth died during emergency treatment at a hospital. A fifth pupil who also developed symptoms remains in hospital. The deaths have left families grieving and brought renewed attention to concerns about the health and safety of children in Ugandan schools.

According to Ta'aliim Primary School and Quran Memorisation Centre, eight pupils ate oranges that another pupil had shared with them. Five subsequently began vomiting, including the four girls who later died. The account of the shared fruit came from the school, while police are investigating whether poisoning was responsible for the deaths.

The school's head teacher has been arrested to assist investigators, and the centre has been sealed off as a crime scene. Local media quoted a police spokesperson as saying detectives would visit the village from which the oranges had come. The origin of the fruit is therefore among the matters being examined during the investigation.

Videos circulated by Ugandan media showed grieving parents recounting the final moments of their children's lives. Some parents accused the school of failing to communicate clearly and promptly about what had happened. Their complaints concerned the information provided by the school as families dealt with the tragedy.

Police have expressed condolences to the bereaved families and the wider community affected by the deaths. They said further information would be released in due course, as investigators continue their work and examinations seek to determine what caused the girls to die.

The case comes amid growing concern about health and safety conditions in schools across Uganda. Earlier incidents involving suspected food contamination and exposure to harmful substances have resulted in pupils being hospitalised with stomach pain, vomiting and difficulty breathing.

Those incidents have fuelled calls for authorities to tighten oversight of school feeding programmes and improve hygiene standards. They have also increased demands for safer learning environments for children.