Mbarara market fire destroys sh200m goods
Jul 07, 2007
FIRE gutted Mbarara Central Market destroying property worth sh200m. This is the second time the market has been burnt. One of the shop owners, Stephen Mugyenyi, who had recently invested sh70 m fainted outside the market as his shop burnt to ashes.
By Kyomuhendo Muhanga
and Abdulkarim Ssengendo
FIRE gutted Mbarara Central Market destroying property worth sh200m. This is the second time the market has been burnt. One of the shop owners, Stephen Mugyenyi, who had recently invested sh70 m fainted outside the market as his shop burnt to ashes.
Josephine Asiimwe one of the food stall owners wailed uncontrollably as she arrived at the burning market and found that her property worth about sh1.5m was destroyed. She said she had obtained a loan from the bank and now could not repay it.
“Oh God, I’m dead!†Asiimwe cried. She tried to run into the fire but was saved by fellow women.
The Police fire brigade fought the fire throughout the night, saving over sh3b.
Ivan Nkwasibwe, the district Police chief, said the fire broke at 2.00am and suspect it originated from a wooden kiosk in the market.
“This was electricity fire. We suspect that someone was tapping direct electricity in one of the burnt stalls,†said Daniel Chemonges, the officer in charge of traffic.
The mayor, Wilson Tumwine, said, he had instructed the municipal engineer to investigate the cause of the fire.
Fire had also destroyed the market in January 2001 destroying property worth sh.2b President Yoweri Museveni then gave the council sh250m to reconstruct it.
and Abdulkarim Ssengendo
FIRE gutted Mbarara Central Market destroying property worth sh200m. This is the second time the market has been burnt. One of the shop owners, Stephen Mugyenyi, who had recently invested sh70 m fainted outside the market as his shop burnt to ashes.
Josephine Asiimwe one of the food stall owners wailed uncontrollably as she arrived at the burning market and found that her property worth about sh1.5m was destroyed. She said she had obtained a loan from the bank and now could not repay it.
“Oh God, I’m dead!†Asiimwe cried. She tried to run into the fire but was saved by fellow women.
The Police fire brigade fought the fire throughout the night, saving over sh3b.
Ivan Nkwasibwe, the district Police chief, said the fire broke at 2.00am and suspect it originated from a wooden kiosk in the market.
“This was electricity fire. We suspect that someone was tapping direct electricity in one of the burnt stalls,†said Daniel Chemonges, the officer in charge of traffic.
The mayor, Wilson Tumwine, said, he had instructed the municipal engineer to investigate the cause of the fire.
Fire had also destroyed the market in January 2001 destroying property worth sh.2b President Yoweri Museveni then gave the council sh250m to reconstruct it.