Mityana fire victims decry delayed police response

MITYANA - Police in Mityana are investigating the circumstances under which a fire destroyed businesses worth millions of shillings.

The incident occurred in the early hours of August 12, 2025, at Buswabulongo trading centre, located on the Kampala–Mubende highway in Mityana Municipality.

Residents and traders in the area said the fire started after they had all closed their businesses, but it spread so quickly that it was impossible to contain.

“It was very strong and spreading widely and very quickly that even when we tried to use water and soil, we could not save anything,” said Sam Kasule, one of the residents who rushed to the scene to stop the fire.

The affected premises included a carpentry workshop, a timber and wood store, and other businesses, all of which were reduced to ashes.

Bwambale Muwereza, one of the carpenters who lost property in the blaze, said that although they saw the fire shortly after it started, it was impossible to stop it due to its rapid spread.

“This place is so busy that people saw the fire as soon as it started, and even when we tried to come in and stop it, we could not succeed,” Bwambale said.

Although the fire broke out almost in the middle of the town, the local police fire brigade was unable to respond, as its truck was reportedly experiencing mechanical problems.
A fire brigade truck from Kampala later arrived at the scene, but by then the flames had already burnt out.

Residents criticised their local leaders for failing to address such issues in advance, saying they should have worked with police to ensure the fire truck was repaired.

“Our leaders knew that this truck was grounded but could not work with police to see how the problem could be solved before getting such incidents,” said Moses Tugume Kafunda.

Racheal Kawala, the Police Spokesperson for Wamala Region, said investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.

She confirmed that the Mityana fire brigade truck is in poor mechanical condition and cannot be used to fight the fire.

“We, however, called another from Kampala, and we can always use one from the neighbouring districts, if we are informed in time,” she said.

Kawala urged residents to alert police immediately in such situations to allow for a quick response. She assured the public that the mechanical engineering team is working on the truck and that repairs will be completed soon.

This was the second time in less than a month that a fire had destroyed property in Mityana town. The previous incident occurred at Nakasero, in the middle of town, where businesses such as welding workshops and other merchandise stores were burnt.