Kisenyi fire: Market stalls start rising from ashes

Traders in Kiganda Zone, Kisenyi II Parish in Kampala Central Division have started rebuilding stalls after fire gutted their stores on Monday.

When Monitor visited the scene, there was a bee-hive of activity from traders constructing stalls with logs and iron sheets. 

The fire that started early morning saw traders lose millions after maize mills and poultry feed stores were destroyed.

“My stock of maize flour was worth Shs20 million. It has all perished in the fire, I have no choice but to start over again, that is why I am constructing a new store with the hope that this kind of disaster never happens again,” Mr Fred Wasswa, one of the traders said yesterday.

Mr Wasswa appealed to the police to investigate the cause of the  continuous fires. 

Ms Alice Natukunda, another trader, said she would operate on a small scale for fear of another disaster.

“My chicken feeds were worth millions and they all perished in the fire. I am going to start over again because

I still have to make a living so that my children can go to school and have food to eat, although this time round, I am going to put in little capital so that in case another fire occurs, I don’t make another painful loss,” Ms Natukunda said yesterday in an interview.

Mr Ismail Okello, another trader, said he lost bags of maize worth Shs15 million.
“When a child dies, does that stop you from giving birth, no it doesn’t, that is why I am starting over again,” Mr Okello said.

Mr Godfrey Kakande, the chairperson of the affected area, wondered why the government had delayed to speak about the tragedy.

“Since yesterday, no one from the government has come to help the affected people or even sympathise with them, what does that signal? This is the sixth time this place is catching fire but the government has never come out to help the affected persons,” he said.

Mr Kakande tasked the perpetrators to compensate the affected traders.
“If you want the land, just come and tell us, compensate people in the open and they will go in peace other than burning down people’s businesses and making them lose a lot of money,” he said.

He added that they are not yet sure of who wants the Kisenyi land, adding that the frequent fires signal something.

“There is a hidden agenda behind these fires, but we shall only know who wants this land if the person comes here to start construction,” Mr Kakande said.

Background

In January 2022, the fire burnt over 45 maize mills in the same area leaving the traders crying foul. 
In June 2017, there was another fire outbreak in the same area.