Kagadi PDM beneficiary loses 400 birds to suspected arson
The incident has been reported to Kagadi Police, which has launched investigations into the cause of the fire.
Kagadi: A poultry farmer in Kagadi District has suffered a devastating loss after a fire outbreak destroyed his poultry house, killing 400 birds in the middle of the night.
Joseph Sekajja, a resident of Nyangereka Cell, Kagadi Town Council, said the fire broke out recently, reducing his poultry house, which contained 200 layers and 200 broilers, to ashes.
The fire also spread to his piggery, but neighbors managed to rescue the pigs before they were harmed.
Sekajja, who had benefited from the Parish Development Model (PDM) program, estimates his losses at approximately 12 million shillings.
“If I calculate the money I have invested in constructing the chicken house and the birds I lost, my total loss is about 12 million shillings,” he lamented.
He suspects the fire was deliberately started by unidentified individuals.
“I suspect my poultry house was deliberately burnt by ill-intentioned people. I have lived here for a long time and operated this business without any issues,” he added.
Nalumaga Thopista, a resident of Nyangereka and the first person to witness the fire, said she saw flames originating from a nearby toilet before spreading to the poultry house and piggery.
She immediately alerted neighbors, who rushed to the scene but were unable to save the birds.
Kadoma Elinewo, the head of Sekajja’s family, expressed deep sorrow, saying they have lost their primary source of income.
Katuramu August, Chairperson of Kyomukama Ward PDM SACCO, strongly condemned the act, stating that such criminal activities sabotage government programs and hinder household economic growth.
“Destroying someone’s hard work is a setback not just for the individual but for the entire community. These acts frustrate government efforts to fight poverty,” he said.
Katuramu urged all PDM beneficiaries to enhance security around their projects and called on the government to introduce an insurance scheme to protect PDM-funded businesses from losses due to fires, diseases, or theft.
The incident has been reported to Kagadi Police, which has launched investigations into the cause of the fire.
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