Millions have been lost in a fire that gutted a commercial building in Mityana town, which is located on Kampala Road in the town’s centre.

According to some of the traders who operated in the building, they suspect that the fire started between 2:00 am and 4:00 am on Friday morning before they were alerted by bodaboda riders who saw smoke billowing out of the building.

Most of the businesses operating in the building were majorly stationery shops or books stores, while others operated different businesses in the small rooms behind it.

One of the shops was HB Stationery owned by Haji Badru Bagonza.

Traders operating near the building narrated that they had seen Bagonza offloading a truck full of scholastic goods ahead of the new school year which begins next week.

Badru Bagonza standing amidst the debris. Photo by Luke Kagiri

Bagonza declined to estimate his loss but admitted he had lost a lot.

He said he was notified about the fire by a bodaboda cyclist who went to his home at night and called him.

“Even when I arrived, I had no means [of putting out the fire], but when we gathered, we tried to use water or soil but in vain,” he said.

This building is about 100 metres from Mityana Old Police Station, but the Fire Brigade was unable to put out the fire, something that left the district and municipality leaders throwing blame at the Police.

However, Wamala region Police commander, Charles Onencan, said the Police went to the scene but failed to put out the blaze because they did not have firefighting equipment.