A lightning strike can be fatal especially for people in poorly protected buildings
A teacher has died, and 18 pupils were injured after lightning struck Global View Nursery and Primary School in Juma Parish, Kamdini Sub-county, Oyam District.
Joseph Ebwanga, 26, a primary five teacher, was struck dead on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, as he was conducting class during the 4 pm drizzles.
Authorities in the area say the incident highlights the dangers faced by schools that don’t have lightning arrestors installed in their premises.
Mr Denis Odur, an eyewitness, said Ebwanga was in the classroom conducting lessons when the school was struck, causing panic among the entire school community.
“The teacher who was conducting lessons when he got struck. Some students got injured while others fled from the school,” he said.
According to Mr Moses Onyanga, the village general secretary who rushed to the scene after the incident, primary four and five classes were affected.
Mr Geoffrey Okodo, one of the parents whose children were injured, said that although the deceased teacher had just joined the school as a new staff member, he was committed to his work.
“This teacher was admitted to our school this term. Unfortunately, he died at the time when we still needed him so much,” he said.
The victims were first rushed to Dicunyi HCIII for medical treatment before five others who were in critical condition were referred to St John Pope XXIII Hospital in Aber Sub County.
North Kyoga Region Police Spokesperson, Patrick Jimmy Okema when contacted for a comment, said that a formal report had not been filed at police yet.
Uganda is a lightning hotspot, particularly during the rainy seasons.
In June last year, the Ministry of Education and Sports pledged to scale up lightning protection efforts in schools across Uganda, following a deadly series of lightning strikes that had killed at least 10 people and injured more than 70 others since January 2025.
The renewed government commitment came on June 28, 2025, during the commemoration of International Lightning Safety Day (ILSD) at Palabek Secondary School in Lamwo District, an area still mourning victims of recent lightning-related tragedies.
In a pre-recorded video message, First Lady and Education Minister Janet Kataaha Museveni reaffirmed the government’s resolve to protect learners and school infrastructure from the growing threat of lightning.
“The Ministry of Education and Sports, through our Construction Management Unit, is committed to ensuring that both new and existing school structures across Uganda are fitted with proper lightning protection systems,” she said.
