Deadly fire destroys property in Nebbi
A handful of victims gathered at the scene, struggling to come to terms with their losses.
Nebbi: A devastating fire broke out in the early hours of Monday, March 10, 2025, reducing more than six houses, kiosks, and restaurants to ashes in Rock View Cell, Central Division, Nebbi Municipality.
The inferno destroyed property worth millions of shillings.
The fire, which reportedly started in one house before spreading rapidly to other structures in the busy business hub, left no fatalities or injuries.
West Nile Regional Police Spokesperson Collins Asea confirmed the incident in a statement, noting that while the exact cause of the fire remains unknown, “there is suspicion that it was caused by a short circuit due to a loose electrical connection in one of the kiosks.”
Asea further revealed that the affected structures housed small businesses, including local brew joints, a timber store, electronic kiosks, and restaurants.
“At around 4:45 a.m., the noise from people woke us up. We saw huge plumes of smoke, and many fled while raising alarms,” said eyewitness Haron Ofoymungu.
Geoffrey Ngiriker, the Mayor of Nebbi Municipality, described the incident as “sad and tragic,” particularly for small and medium-income earners. He called for immediate government intervention to support the affected business owners.
A handful of victims gathered at the scene, struggling to come to terms with their losses.
“This is a complete disaster. Where do I even begin?” lamented a tearful Chris Bithum, whose two houses were burned to ashes.
The fire has reignited concerns over the lack of firefighting resources in the region.
In October last year, Members of Parliament called for the establishment of fire brigade units at regional police stations to mitigate property destruction and loss of life in fire emergencies.
Currently, West Nile Subregion has only one fire brigade unit, located in Arua City over 70 kilometers from Nebbi Municipality.
The region has experienced multiple disastrous fire incidents in recent years, including the 2021 fuel tanker explosion at the Goli One-Stop Border Post.
Uganda has only 45 fire stations, with 11 of them concentrated in Kampala, according to the 2020/2021 Auditor General’s report.
Mayor Ngiriker revealed that “in our security meetings, we have repeatedly appealed for the establishment of a fire brigade department in Nebbi, but we have not received any feedback.”
Nebbi Police have launched an inquiry into the fire under reference number REF 7/10/3/2025.
Last week, the Japanese government donated five firefighting trucks to the Uganda Police Force days after a devastating fire tore through Sunrise Hotel in central Kampala, claiming four lives and destroying property.
According to police statistics, over 200 people lost their lives to fire-related incidents in 2024 out of 1,280 reported fire emergencies across the country.
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