Nebbi District—The community of Mamba Secondary School was left in shock after an 18-year-old Senior Two learner successfully delivered a baby girl inside the school’s girls’ dormitory on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.
Details surrounding the circumstances of the birth remain unclear, including whether the teenager received assistance from her peers or delivered unassisted.
The school’s head teacher, Albert Cekecan, described the incident as an “unfortunate occurrence.” He revealed that the learner had recently transferred to Mamba Secondary School from Colleen Secondary School and hails from Asili Vura village.
Coincidentally, the delivery happened amid an ongoing school-wide pregnancy screening initiative. According to Cekecan, the learner’s pregnancy had been detected just a week earlier, but additional verification was still pending.
“Following last week’s sports activities, the school’s health coordination unit initiated a pregnancy screening program for all learners. The process is still underway, with some Senior One students yet to be tested. Her pregnancy was identified but required further confirmation,” Cekecan explained in an interview.
Immediately after the birth, the teenage mother and her newborn were referred to Padwot Midiere Health Center III for postnatal care. Agnes Acibu, an enrolled nurse from the facility, responded swiftly and found that the learner had already completed the second stage of labor.
“I arrived to find she had delivered, and the neonate was wrapped. I assessed the infant’s condition and confirmed stability, but the third stage of labor—placental delivery—had not yet occurred. I intervened to manage postpartum hemorrhage and stabilize her,” Acibu recounted.
The baby, weighing 2.1 kilograms at birth, and the mother were transferred to the health facility for comprehensive monitoring and care. Clinical officer Innocent Obedyo confirmed that the teenager had been in her eighth month of pregnancy at the time of delivery and described the event as a “significant surprise.”
The incident has sparked widespread concern, with community members questioning how the learner managed to conceal her pregnancy throughout the school term.
In 2022, the government introduced guidelines for managing pregnancies in educational settings, requiring schools to establish health subcommittees to oversee pregnant learners’ retention and reintegration. The policy also mandates periodic pregnancy screenings for female students at least once per term.
However, the implementation of these guidelines has faced resistance from religious leaders who argue that they may encourage teenage pregnancies rather than prevent them.
As the learner and her newborn receive care, the incident has reignited discussions about teenage pregnancies in schools and the effectiveness of policies designed to support young mothers in continuing their education.
