17 Teargassed Students Admitted in Mukono

Seventeen students are admitted at Mukono Church of Uganda Hospital after the Police which was battling Robert Kyagulanyi’s supporters fired teargas that entered into their classrooms. 

Christopher Bwire, the headteacher of Mpoma Girls School located at Mpoma village in Nama sub-county, Mukono district says that at least 30 students got hurt as Police fired teargas into their classrooms where they had entered for evening preps on Monday evening.

The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesman, Patrick Onyango admits that Police fired teargas "around that area" as they were trying to disperse Kyagulanyi supporters.

However, Onyango says that they did not intend to hurt the students or fire teargas into the school. He instead blames the winds which blew the teargas to the direction of the students’ classrooms.

Bwire adds that he was forced to call for ambulance services to evacuate 17 students who had fainted after failing to breathe, having eye irritation and chest pains.

//Cue in: “Every other minute… Cue out: … from the dispensary.”//

Some of the students who are currently admitted say that though they are now out of danger, they still feel headache and chest pain. 

//Cue in: “From the time… Cue out: …breathing was difficult.”//

The affected students are Senior Four and Senior Six candidates who are the only ones at school as the rest of the classes are still on indefinite break which was caused by the the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Sr. Maria Ndagire, the head of outpatient department says that by the time they received the students, they were all unconscious but by Tuesday morning, all of them were out of danger.