Ugandan Police Investigate Suspected Poisoning Deaths of Four Girls

What changed

Ugandan police are investigating the suspected poisoning deaths of four girls aged nine to 11 at Ta’aliim Primary School and Quran Memorisation Centre in Kampala. Eight pupils reportedly ate oranges shared by another child; five became ill, four died on Tuesday, and a fifth remains in hospital. The head teacher has been arrested for questioning, the school has been cordoned off, and post-mortem examinations are under way.

Why it matters

The crucial fact is that the cause of death is still unknown. Investigators are examining both the school and the village where the oranges came from, so the case has not established that the fruit was contaminated or that anyone deliberately poisoned the pupils.

The sequence has left families facing a grim practical question: how did four children die after the same meal, and when did the adults responsible for them realise the danger? Three girls died at home; the fourth died while receiving emergency treatment. That makes the investigation’s next findings important not only for identifying a possible source, but also for understanding how quickly information and medical care moved through the crisis.

Parents have accused the school of failing to provide clear and timely information. That allegation remains unproven, but it adds a second line of scrutiny to the investigation: alongside what the children ate, authorities will have to establish what the school knew and when it acted.