Kampala sitting on time bomb over congested fuel depots
A truck off loads at a fuel storage depot in Kampala. Dr Alone Kimwise, the dean of faculty of Science and Technology at Victoria University, said the companies with big fuel depots in the city should invest in modern technology. PHOTO / FILE
A third of Kampala City risks being burnt down should any of the fuel stations catch fire given its closeness, the National Physical Planning Board (NPPB) has warned.
The caution comes after NPPB found out that most of fuel depots and stations in the city centre are closely built to each other.
“Our city is not well planned which makes it hard for firefighting machinery to make its way to many places in the city because of horrible traffic jams in case of any fire outbreak in these fuel deports and fuel stations,” Ms Jackie Kemigisha Kizza, a board member of NPPB, said yesterday.
She said many of these fuel depot’s underground channels pass under other buildings and they are close to each other so in case of any fire outbreak it will be like a nuclear weapon exploding.
Ms Kizza said government should allocate a piece of land far away from the city centre for establishing huge fuel depots to minimise destruction of property and lives.
She advised investors who want to set up fuel depots in the greater Kampala Metropolitan area to first seek approval from relevant authorities before commencing construction for easy supervision.
Dr Alone Kimwise, the dean of faculty of Science and Technology at Victoria University, said the companies with big fuel depots in the city should invest in modern technology.
“Kampala is a city where more than two million people reside, so to protect people and property these companies need the latest technology to avert dangers of destruction caused by fire outbreaks,” he said.
He said destruction of a third of Kampala will take decades for the economy to stabilise since it is the commercial and administrative centre.
