Japan gives Masaka fire-truck

May 25, 2008

THE Japanese government has donated a fire-fighting van, an ambulance and a motorcycle to Masaka district. Takamitsu Yamazaki, the Asia-Africa Association director, on Friday handed over the automobiles to the Masaka LC5 chief, Vincent Sempijja.

By Ali Mambule

THE Japanese government has donated a fire-fighting van, an ambulance and a motorcycle to Masaka district. Takamitsu Yamazaki, the Asia-Africa Association director, on Friday handed over the automobiles to the Masaka LC5 chief, Vincent Sempijja.

“We hope that these vehicles and another consignment, which is yet to arrive, will be helpful to Masaka district,” Yamazaki told the district council.
Sempijja said many accident victims had died because there were no ambulances to rush them to hospital.

“We also lacked a reliable fire-fighting car, since the single one owned by the Police is sometimes used to sell water and where it struggles to make it to the fire scenes, it arrives late.”

He said the donation was as a result of a partnership the district signed with Japan two years ago.

Masaka, Sempijja explained, would train officers to manage the vehicles.
But regional Police commander Andrew Sorowen denied using the Police truck to sell water.

He said the truck was old and in a poor mechanical condition. “That truck can not move at a fast speed. Its tyres are worn-out and we cannot respond quickly to fire outbreaks.”

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