Musisi Calls for Fire Trucks at Every Police Division After Kireka Blaze

A fire at a furniture shop in Kireka, opposite Farmers Market, has prompted Kira Municipality MP George Musisi to call on the government to equip every police division with a fire brigade truck to improve emergency response.

The blaze destroyed timber, mattresses and other merchandise belonging to several traders, leaving them counting losses, including some who are still servicing loans taken to finance their businesses.

Musisi said he was mobilising support to help the affected traders recover from the losses, which come at a time when businesses are already facing economic challenges.

“We are here to mobilise how to see that they get back on their feet,” Musisi said.

He blamed heavy traffic along Jinja Road for delaying the fire brigade’s response, saying congestion reportedly prevented emergency crews from reaching the scene in time to contain the blaze.

The legislator argued that placing firefighting trucks at police divisions would reduce response times and help limit property damage during emergencies.

“It’s high time that we saw fire brigade trucks at every police division. Police divisions have been decentralised. We have even here in Kira, we have a police division. What stops us from having a fire brigade truck at every division level?” Musisi asked.

He said Uganda should invest in decentralising firefighting services so that communities can access emergency assistance promptly, regardless of their location.

“Every minute counts,” Musisi said, urging the government to prioritise firefighting equipment and response capacity rather than repeatedly assessing losses after disasters.

Meanwhile, some people at the scene reportedly attributed the fire to burning rubbish that allegedly ignited an electrical wire.

Police had not confirmed the cause of the outbreak, and the circumstances surrounding the incident remained unclear.