Uganda: Kigungu Market Fire Destroys Over 300 Households

Vendors are counting losses after a huge fire gutted Kigungu Landing site in Entebbe Municipality.

Vendors say fire started on Thursday around 11:00am, destroying properties worth millions including retail shops, households, stalls, and beddings among others.

Richard Ssekyondo, Chairperson Divion B, Entebbe Municipality said vendors who rushed to the scene around 11:00am noticed that the fire started from a woman's household who was cooking.

Ssekyondo and other vendors thanked fire brigade and rescue team from Entebbe International Airport, Entebbe Police for responding in time to extinguish the fire despite the challenges of poor roads to access the landing site.

"I think as leaders in Entebbe, we are going to start enforcing laws at this landing site, we are going to gazette places for each and every activity done here and also how they are supposed to build the houses. Those cooking should be on one side like that in any other activity. People are continuously losing a lot of millions in careless activities which is not acceptable" Ssekyondo stated.

Ssekyondo appealed to the government to immediately intervene and help people who have been left homeless at the landing site.

This is the second fire incident at the landing site since December 2021.

Mpunge Micheal, team leader Red Cross Entebbe, said over 320 households have been destroyed leaving over 420 people homeless.

Asiimwe Teddy, a vendor at Kigungu Landing site, said some people masquerading as aid volunteers stole most of the goods that were being rescued from burning properties.

"it is very unfortunate because most of us shifted from Kigungu area commonly known as Makusa one after it got burnt to this new area of Makusa two and now it's also destroyed. Most of us had acquired loans to start new businesses, pay school fees and other necessities; we don't know how to pay back these loans," Teddy added.

Vendors have asked for help from the office of the Prime Minister.

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