Fire Burns Down Blanket Factory

By Geoffrey KamaliA MASSIVE fire engulfed the entire section of Simba Blankets factory on Port Bell Road, Kampala, on Monday night, destroying machinery, a building and materials worth billions of shillings.The inferno, which started at about 9:00pm, took the Police fire crew and private fire fighters over five hours to contain.Simba Blankets factory is owned by prominent Kampala businessmen, Dr. William Kalema and James Mulwana. Kalema is the chairman of the Uganda Manufacturers Association while Mulwana is his immediate predecessor. The two also have run a number of other businesses.Police said the fire started from the starter of a motor which drives the tearing machine, a blower and fan. The destroyed sections included the carding, blending and tearing sections.Kalema and Mulwana were not available for comment yesterday. However, company officials said they were assessing the damage.The chief fire officer, Joseph Mugisha, said the fire spread fast.“It spread rapidly from the starter to other materials. There was extensive damage to the factory. We saved other things.” The firemen saved the waving section, administration block and the customs warehouse.Ends