Police issue safety advisory amid Karamoja wildfire surge

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The police in Karamoja have issued an advisory urging local communities to adopt minimum fire safety practices to prevent wildfires and other fire-related accidents.

Recent weeks have seen a surge in wildfires, often ignited by hunters or through accidents, ravaging homesteads—locally known as manyatas—in Nabilatuk, Kotido, and Kaabong districts.

These fires have caused catastrophic losses in terms of food, housing, and other property. At least five fire incidents have been recorded since Christmas, leaving victims without shelter and food.

Authorities attribute the widespread destruction to the lack of precautionary measures, and the police have stressed that the absence of basic fire safety practices is to blame for the devastation.

In a statement on January 9, 2025, ASP Calisto Narushia, the regional police liaison officer in charge of North Karamoja advised that people living in homesteads clear bushes several metres from their wooden fences to reduce the risk of wildfires.

Narushia further urged the clearing of dry grasses and bushes around kraals and temporary stores that are often situated outside homesteads, in a bid to prevent these structures from being engulfed in flames.

Additionally, the police have issued a warning to parents and caregivers, advising against leaving young children home alone for extended periods, and ensuring an adult is present for safe cooking practices.

Karamoja’s vulnerability to wildfires is exacerbated by strong winds in the region’s dry lands, and the local tradition of burning grass for new growth further contributes to the fire risk. 

Despite efforts by local leaders to discourage such practices, they remain persistent.

Two toddlers killed

Meanwhile, police in East Kyoga are also grappling with the growing threat of wildfires, following the deaths of two minors who perished in separate incidents.

On December 31, 2024, a three-year-old child was killed in a house fire in Atirir parish, Willa sub-county, Amuria district, when their hut was reduced to ashes.

A similar tragedy struck on January 7, 2025, when another three-year-old died in a wildfire in Oseera parish, Tukum village, Ongino sub-county, Kumi district.

Damalie Nachuha, the Regional Police Commander (RPC) for East Kyoga, attributes these fatalities to a disregard for fire safety laws within the community. 

She emphasises the urgent need for stronger enforcement of by-laws that prohibit wildfires, warning that continued negligence could lead to more lives being lost and further property destruction.