Africa-Press – Uganda. Police are investigating a fire outbreak at Wabigalo Zone, Kisugu Parish, Makindye Division in Kampala district which burnt part of City Star Building along Eighth Street in the wee hours of Thursday morning, destroying property worth millions of shillings.
According to Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson, Mr Luke Oweyesigyire, the fire outbreak at the building was reported by the Daily Monitor employee who witnessed smoke emanating from the building.
“He (Daily Monitor employee) promptly contacted the Police Fire Prevention and Rescue Services, who swiftly responded to the scene,” Mr Oweyesigyire said in the police statement.
He added: “Upon investigation, it was discovered that the building housed printing services, and a substantial number of papers and machines were destroyed and burnt as a result of the fire. The building was found unattended at the time, with the local security guard discovered asleep inside.”
The incident is being investigated by detectives at Kabalagala Police Station.
“The Kabalagala Police, along with scene of crime officers, examined and documented the area. Statements were recorded from relevant authorities to gather further information. Police are diligently working to ascertain the cause of the fire,”Mr Oweyesigyire noted.
“They are also investigating whether any foul play was involved and are determined to bring the responsible parties to justice,” he added.
Fuel depots
Mr Oweyesigyire commended the swift response of the Fire Prevention and Rescue Services to contain the fire which was likely to spread to the fuel depots positioned a few metres away from the affected building.
“It should also be noted that the scene is close to two fuel depots. The swift response of the Fire Prevention and Rescue Services prevented the fire from spreading to these depots,” he said.
“We appreciate the prompt response and collaborative efforts of the Police Fire Prevention and Rescue Services, Daily Monitor employee who reported the incident, and other relevant authorities in addressing this unfortunate event. We will provide updates as the investigation progresses,” he added.
Efforts to get comments from the owners of the building were futile as our repeated phone calls to the known telephone numbers went unanswered by press time.
The latest police report indicates that fire incidents increased by 16 percent in 2022 compared to 2021. The report revealed that 976 of 1, 258 fire cases registered in 2022 were in Kampala Metropolitan area.
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