Longino Amutuheire, a teacher at St. Gerald's Secondary school Nyakibaale in Rukungiri District is counting his blessings, but yet, nursing severe burns following an arson attack by students who attempted to kill him.
Amutuheire sustained the burns when angry students found him in the school offices at around 6am on Thursday morning and set it ablaze.
The teacher had arrived at the school early to monitor student preps, which start at 5:30am and end at 6:00am. The students accused the teacher of being harsh to them whenever he enters their hostels to wake them up for the compulsory morning preps.
Nazarious Byaruhanga, the head teacher St. Gerald's Secondary school Nyakibaale, says the errant students looked up Amutuheire in the office and doused it with petrol before setting it ablaze. He says the other students who were already doing their preps rushed and broke windows to the office to rescue the teacher when they saw the flames.
According to Byaruhanga, although the students managed to rescue Amutuheire, he escaped with severe burns on the body. He says the fire also destroyed various items in the office including stationary, text books and furniture among others.
Elly Maate, the Kigezi Region Police Spokesperson, says Amutuheire was rushed to
Nyakibaare hospital, where he is in intensive care. According to Maate, much as the students managed to rescue the teacher, they couldn't put out the fire, adding that it took the intervention of the Police fire brigade to stop the fire from spreading to the entire administration block.
He says they have launched investigations into the incident to bring the culprits to book.