Police probing Buvuma arson case

By Simon Masaba

BUVUMA - An arson attack was reported in Kiruguma Village, Buvuma District, on February 23, 2025, at around 1:00am.

The victim, Tamisi Mugala, was woken by loud banging on her door and found her house engulfed in flames. She raised an alarm, and neighbours helped extinguish the fire before it spread. No injuries were reported, and property damage was minimal.

“No suspects have been arrested yet, but investigations are ongoing,” said Hellen Butoto, the police spokesperson for  Ssezibwa Region.

The Annual Crime report indicated that; Kampala Metropolitan Area recorded the highest number of fires, with 993 cases in 2024 alone.

Stephen Tanui, the director of Fire and rescue services noted that firefighting efforts in the city remain challenging due to congestion, narrow roads, and poor urban planning.

“You find a fire breaking out in a congested suburb where access is blocked. It may take five minutes to get there, but hours to put it out because of the obstacles,” he explained.

The central region had the highest fire occurrences, with 24% of all cases, followed by Nakawa (13%), Rubaga (7%), and Kawempe (32%). Other affected districts included Wakiso, Entebbe, Mukono, and Mpigi.

Tanui warned that as Uganda continues to develop, fire incidents are likely to rise unless deliberate prevention measures are taken.

“We must plan heavily for fire prevention rather than just responding to outbreaks. Emergency response is crucial, but preventing these fires in the first place is what really saves lives,” he emphasized.