Fire Destroys Furniture Workshops in Buloba, Causing Massive Losses

A fire on Tuesday night gutted two furniture workshops along Kampala–Mityana Highway in Bunwe Village, Buloba, in Wakiso District, leaving owners counting heavy losses.

The blaze is suspected to have been caused by a short circuit in one of the electric meter boxes near a utility pole at Veron Wood Gallery Limited before spreading to nearby furniture showrooms. The fire severely affected Timber World and Veron Wood Gallery Limited, reducing property and stock to ashes.

Mr Grace Nsubuga, proprietor of Veron Wood Gallery Limited, said all his machinery used in furniture production, timber, and related products—worth about Shs500 million—was destroyed.

“Over 10 machines were all destroyed. The fire was caused by an irregular power supply. This is the second time fire is breaking out here,” he said.

He added that the Uganda Police Force Fire Brigade arrived about an hour later due to heavy traffic congestion.

At the time of the incident, the area’s security guard, Gilbert Asuma, had briefly left the premises to take his child to a clinic.

“I had accompanied my wife to take our child to the clinic. In less than 10 minutes after leaving, I received a phone call from my boss that the place had caught fire,” he said.

Asuma noted that Buloba has recently been experiencing unstable power supply, which he believes contributed to a similar short circuit about three weeks earlier.

“We were lucky during the previous incident because it happened when workers were present. We used available fire extinguishers to control it since it was manageable,” he added.

Residents have faulted the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL), accusing it of failing to address persistent power fluctuations in the area. They reported that on the day of the fire, electricity went off and returned several times before a loud blast was heard.

“I was inside my house when I heard a loud sound. At first, I thought it was an explosion. When I stepped outside, there was smoke everywhere,” said Ms Aida Namaviga, a resident. She urged authorities to intervene, warning that similar incidents could occur again and potentially lead to loss of life.

Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire confirmed the incident, stating that preliminary investigations point to an electrical fault, likely caused by unstable power supply.

He added that one person, identified as Jackline Onzili, 25, was injured and rushed to a nearby medical facility for treatment.

Police have since advised the public to exercise caution when handling electrical installations and open flames to prevent similar incidents.