Police detain Kasubi Tombs intruder

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A male suspect is being held at Old Kampala Police Station after he reportedly tried to access Kasubi Tombs complex by scaling the perimeter wall using a wooden ladder.

Without divulging the details, the Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police Spokesperson Owoyesigyire confirmed the arrest on Friday, November 7.

He said that the detainee, whose name he declined to reveal, was at the time of arrest also in possession of a matchbox and a container suspected of having flammable liquid.

"We have a suspect in our custody in connection with the incident in Kasubi trading centre. We shall release the details as soon as our investigators file the report,” Owoyesigyire told New Vision in a telephone interview on Friday. 

Another security source said that as part of the probe, investigators also intend to subject the suspect to a medical checkup to determine his mental status.

The reported attempt to illegally access Kasubi Tombs, one of UNESCO sites in Uganda, brings back bad memories of the March 16, 2010, inferno that erased the main mausoleum known as Muzibu Azaala Mpanga.

In 1884, the gigantic, thatched structure was converted into Buganda's royal burial ground, and four royal tombs of former Buganda kings lie within the Muzibu Azaala Mpanga.

Findings into the investigations of the fire outbreak have never been made public.

After the inferno, the Buganda Kingdom, the Uganda Government and UNESCO committed funds and personnel to renovate the affected structures in efforts to restore the cultural icon, a symbol of the rich history and heritage of the Buganda Kingdom. 

In May this year, Kano Takehiro, the Japanese Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, inspected the complex and commended collaborative restoration efforts.

During the inspection, Anthony Wamala, Buganda Minister for Tourism, informed the UNESCO team that the official launch of the reconstructed complex was scheduled for December 2025.

The Kasubi Tombs complex is also a burial ground of other members of the Buganda royal family.