Iganga, Uganda: At least three furniture workshops and a makeshift bar were reduced to ashes in separate but near-simultaneous fires that swept through Kikongola, Bugumba and Nkono in Iganga Northern Division, Iganga Municipality, along the Iganga–Kaliro road in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The first fire is said to have broken out at around 3:45 am at a furniture workshop in Kikongola, followed minutes later by a blaze at a bar in Nkono, before spreading to another workshop in Bugumba around 5 am.
Eyewitnesses and business owners are now questioning how the incidents, striking almost concurrently, could have happened without foul play.
One of the most affected victims, identified as Yonasan, lost two separate workshops in Kikongola and Bugumba, with furniture including sofa sets, beds, dining sets, and dressing mirrors worth an estimated Shs70 million destroyed.
“I was informed by my neighbors when my workshop caught fire, and rushed there. On my way, I passed my other branch and it was still safe, but a few minutes later I was told it was also on fire,” he told DailyExpress.
Another workshop owner, Mugabi Abdul, said property worth Shs20 million perished in Kikongola. He suspects arson and pointed to a young man, once employed as a watchman at a nearby workshop, who was arrested in Bukaye village after allegedly attempting to set a kiosk on fire.
“The information I have is that the said boy had misunderstandings with my neighbor before he left work. We suspect he could be behind all this,” Mugabi noted.
Sources revealed that the suspect had previously developed mental health challenges and was taken by his family for treatment, but had since returned to the area.
Police later picked him up and transferred him to Iganga General Hospital for psychiatric evaluation, saying his condition and testimony will be critical to investigations.
Iganga Northern Division Mayor, Hajji Kataba Muhammad, condemned the incidents, branding them “acts of heartless people.” He urged police to work closely with residents to establish the truth.
“We are still wondering what could be the cause of the fire. I ask police to cooperate with locals in the investigations,” Kataba said, confirming that no lives were lost.
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