KABALE, UGANDA – Police in Kabale have confirmed that they are investing full efforts into investigating the circumstances surrounding a fire outbreak that gutted shops in Kabale town, destroying property estimated to be worth 200 million shillings.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The fire incident occurred on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at around 1:17 PM at a bustling commercial hub in the Kicollege area, Central ward, Central division, Kabale municipality.
The Kigezi Police spokesperson, ASP Elly Maate, confirmed the incident, stating that police were notified by a worker named Kevin from the Kigezi Diocesan Bookshop after spotting a fire outbreak at a commercial house belonging to Mr. Charles Rwanika.
Maate confirmed that the Police Fire Brigade and Rescue Services proceeded to the scene. Upon arrival, the fire had already gutted several stores filled with merchandise including maize flour, soap, books, sugar, and other items.
First responders found multiple stores within the building already engulfed by the fierce fire. The affected merchandise was extensive, including large quantities of fast-moving consumer goods such as maize flour, soap, sugar, and books.
Maate noted that the quick response was crucial in salvaging a portion of the merchandise and, more importantly, in preventing the flames from spreading to the rest of the building and surrounding structures, which could have led to a far greater catastrophe.
“We are investigating circumstances surrounding the fire outbreak in which property worth 200 million Uganda Shillings was destroyed. The fire was extinguished, and we managed to save part of the merchandise, the entire house, and the surrounding houses from being affected,” Maate stated.
While it was a stroke of luck that no lives were lost during the incident, business owners are now bracing for what is expected to be a severe economic impact.
Authorities have appealed to the public, especially business owners in the area, to remain calm and vigilant as the police work to establish the facts surrounding the unfortunate incident.
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