Nebbi senior two student gives birth in dormitory
“The pregnancy was detected but needed further confirmation,” Cekecan explained.
Nebbi: An 18-year-old senior two female student at Mamba Secondary School in Nebbi District has given birth to a healthy baby girl in the school’s girls’ dormitory on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.
The unexpected event has left both local leaders and the surrounding community in a state of profound astonishment.
It is still unclear whether the young mother delivered the baby on her own or received support from her peers during the process.
The school’s Headteacher, Albert Cekecan, expressed his shock, describing the incident as an “unfortunate occurrence.” He also revealed that the student had recently transferred from Colleen Secondary School and is from Asili Vura village.
This delivery comes amid an ongoing school initiative aimed at pregnancy screening for all female students.
The adolescent mother’s pregnancy had been confirmed a week earlier, although her condition still required additional verification.
Cekecan mentioned that some Senior One students had yet to be tested as part of this initiative, which had been launched after the recent sports activities.
“The pregnancy was detected but needed further confirmation,” Cekecan explained.
Once the delivery occurred, both the mother and her newborn were promptly referred to Padwot Midiere Health Center III for postnatal care.
Agnes Acibu, an enrolled nurse from the health facility, responded quickly to the situation. She arrived to find that the student had already delivered, and the newborn was stable, although the third stage of labor (placental delivery) had not been completed. Acibu intervened to manage the postpartum hemorrhage and ensure the stability of both mother and child.
The newborn, weighing 2.1 kilograms at birth, and the mother were transferred to the health center for further monitoring and care.
Clinical Officer Innocent Obedyo at the facility described the situation as a “significant surprise,” noting that the student was eight months pregnant when she gave birth.
The community remains perplexed, especially regarding how the young student managed to conceal her pregnancy throughout her time at school. The case has raised questions about the effectiveness of existing pregnancy screening procedures and whether they are being fully implemented.
In 2022, the Ugandan government introduced guidelines aimed at managing pregnancies in educational settings, including mandatory pregnancy screening for female learners at least once per term.
These guidelines also require the establishment of a subcommittee under the School Health Committee to oversee the retention and reintegration of pregnant learners into the education system.
Despite the government’s efforts to support pregnant students, the policy faced opposition from religious leaders who contested its implementation.
The guidelines were intended to give pregnant students a second chance to continue their education, but the success and challenges of their execution remain a subject of debate.
This case highlights the ongoing challenges surrounding adolescent pregnancies in educational institutions, and the community is left grappling with unanswered questions about the student’s concealment of her pregnancy.
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