Fire ravages residential apartments in Soroti city
Jan 20, 2025
The house, located on Hariders Road in Soroti City East, housed multiple tenants, including Etop Radio programs manager, Stella Ipas, and some Indian businessmen, all of whom suffered significant losses.

The locals came in handy to help the police on putting off the fire. (Credit: Godfrey Ojore)

Godfrey Ojore
Journalist @New Vision
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A storied house in Soroti city was engulfed in flames on Monday, causing property losses estimated in the millions.
The house, located on Hariders Road in Soroti City East, housed multiple tenants, including Etop Radio programs manager, Stella Ipas, and some Indian businessmen, all of whom suffered significant losses.
The property belongs to Charles Ocici, the executive director of Enterprise Uganda.
According to Clement Okanya, the DPC of Soroti Central, the fire started at around 6:00 pm. The exact cause is yet to be established.
DPC Soroti city central Clement Okanya helping the officers to put off the fire. (Credit: Godfrey Ojore)

(Credit: Godfrey Ojore)
“We received the information late, but we tried our best to salvage some of the property. We are yet to meet the house occupants to determine what exactly happened,” Okanya said.
Ipas, visibly distraught, recounted receiving the news while at work.
“We saw smoke coming from the direction of my residence and assumed tyres were being burned. Minutes later, a friend rushed to inform me that my house was on fire,” she said.
Thanks to the efforts of Etop staff, some of Ipas's belongings were saved, though the majority were consumed by the fire.
“The children are safe because they’re on holiday in the village, but I cannot quantify the loss of items destroyed,” she added.
Police, assisted by local residents, battled the blaze for two hours before it was fully extinguished. Despite the extensive damage, no injuries were reported, as most residents were away at work during the incident.
The fire, which drew a large crowd of onlookers, leaves many questions unanswered as investigations continue.