Fire has gutted Kafumbe Mukasa Memorial building in St Balikudembe market. The fire broke out on Tuesday evening at around 8:45pm. Robert Sekyere, an eye witness says that the fire started from Aisha beauty saloon before spreading to to other areas of the building.
Kafumbe Mukasa building is comprised of 17 lockups that have been operating as saloons, restaurants and stores. According to Sekyere, the fire gutted traders merchandise worth unspecified amount of money.
He said that some traders managed to remove their merchandise from the stores before it was gutted by the fire. Bambata Mugumya, the manager Kafumbe Mukasa Memorial Building says that they managed to save several bales of used clothes that were in the stores, because some of the traders were called back when they saw the fire.
Mugumya says that police responded promptly and managed to contain the fire before it could cause extensive damage. When URN visited St Balikudembe market last evening, several vendors could be seen combing through the ruins of what had remained of their merchandise.
The traders pulled out sources pans, and several cooking utensils that were not damaged by the fire. Steven Asubasi, Kampala North Regional Police commander says that they have done a little more but the fire trucks lacked access to the market.
In 2009, a huge fire broke out in Nakivubo park yard market and destroyed traders merchandise worth millions of shillings.
