A devastating fire has gutted Wandegeya Police Barracks, destroying property and leaving several police officers counting their losses.
The fire, which broke out on Friday at around 4:30 pm, razed more than 10 makeshift housing units within the barracks.Didan Nuwaleba, a police constable attached to Wandegeya Police Station, said all his household property was reduced to ashes. He, however, managed to rescue his two-year-old baby.
Didan Nuwaleba, a police constable attached to Wandegeya Police Station, said all his household property was reduced to ashes. He, however, managed to rescue his two-year-old baby.
Nuwaleba said the fire, suspected to have been caused by an electrical fault, started in an iron-sheet housing unit before quickly spreading to neighbouring structures. It later crossed the fence and gutted part of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) offices.
He said although the Police Fire Brigade responded promptly, the intensity of the fire made it difficult to save much of the property.
“There was nothing we could save apart from the roadside area where the fire had not reached. For those of us on the upper side of the barracks, we could not save anything apart from our lives. I was lucky to rescue my baby, whose mother had left with me,” Nuwaleba said.
Daniel Wele, a chicken seller operating opposite the barracks who was among the first people to respond, said most police officers were away when the fire broke out. Those who were inside rushed out in shock as the flames spread rapidly.
Wele said residents and other responders broke part of the fence to gain access and retrieve mattresses and other belongings from areas the fire had not yet reached.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Myers Byonanebye, who is in charge of fire and rescue operations in Kampala and commanded the firefighting operation, said the response was prompt, but the intensity of the fire limited efforts to save property.
Byonanebye said the cause of the fire had not yet been established and would be determined through investigations. However, he did not rule out an electrical fault, which he said was among the leading causes of fires.
“There was no loss of life. We have managed to put out the fire, but it was too much. In one or two days, we should be able to establish the cause. But I can confirm that no life was lost,” Byonanebye said.
By press time, several police officers were still stranded outside the barracks, uncertain about where to go. Some were accompanied by their children and had managed to salvage only a few belongings, while others had sought refuge with colleagues whose housing units were not affected.
The incident is not the first fire outbreak at police barracks within the Kampala Metropolitan Area. Similar fires have previously occurred at Nsambya and Ntinda police barracks, raising concerns about the safety and living conditions of police officers.
Although Inspector General of Police Abas Byakagaba has been working to improve police accommodation, several barracks within the Kampala Metropolitan Area remain in a poor state, exposing officers and their families to difficult living conditions.
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