Act of arson
Police fire and safety department spent the better part of Monday morning putting out a fire that gutted stores at Kisenyi market in Kakajjo zone, Central Division, Kampala.
Traders were left counting losses worth millions following the fire that reportedly started at 4:00 am destroying over 50 milling machines, maize flour, chicken feeds, makeshift rentals among other items.
The cause of the fire has not yet been established but traders claim it could be an act of arson.
Mukisa Muhammed who owns a mills shop says his machine and food stock perished in the fire destroying property over 100 million shillings. He believes the fire was started by malicious people.
Ssendege Francis a maize trader says he is counting looses over 100 million shillings because his milling machine that costs 45 million was burned, he had recently procured three lorries of maize flour at over 44 million shillings and paid for labour and other costs.
He explains that this destruction has not only led to their loses on their part but has rendered very many people jobless. He explains that many people are employed directly and indirectly in the business carrying bags of flour, sorting, grinding among other things.
“I pay rent of 3 million Shillings and on time why the persistent fire outbreaks,” Ssendege says
Ssengendo also claims that the fire could have been deliberately started by land owners involved in conflict over the place. He says the owners (names withheld) are fighting each other over the land and destroying the market and people’s businesses in turn.
Act of arson
“President Museveni should intervene in the matter especially when a fire happens while two people are fighting over land, I know he hears these things. Because people’s properties are destroyed. If they could be compensated like it has been done with the traders in south Sudan.”Ssendege a maize trader stated.
Abubaker Kakooza of Mulungi a dealer in feeds says that he lost over 80 tons of silverfish valued at over Shillings 200 million in the fire. He says fire burnt to ashes all his machinery including weighing scales and milling machines among others perished in the fire.
Mahad Muwoola, the area LC II councilor, says that didn’t save anything since many of the traders were away when the fire started Muwoola like others suspects that the repeated fires are started deliberated by arsonists who want the land they operate from.
This is not the first time that a similar fire has gutted the same market. In January 2021,several makeshift buildings were destroyed in the fire and property worth millions destroyed.
Traders blamed the incident on arson. They claimed that a group of people fumigated the area with fuel instead of proper chemicals. This is the fifth time that the market is gutted with fire in a space of three years. In June 2017, there was another fire outbreak in the same area.
