MPs call for more firefighting stations across the country

Members of Parliament have called for the establishment of fire brigade departments at the different regional police stations across the country in order to prevent destruction of property and loss of life in cases of fire.

The proposal follows a fire arising after a fuel tanker overturned in Kigogwa town along the Kampala-Gulu highway, claiming the lives of 15 people and destroying property on Tuesday, 22 October 2024.

Hon. Betty Ethel Naluyima (NUP, Wakiso District Woman Representative) said that the availability of fire brigade stations would have efficiently mitigated the adverse effects of a fire that claimed lives and gutted shops.

“My prayer is that we have fire brigades at different points countrywide because we cannot keep relying on the Kampala station. The one and a half hours it took Police to negotiate their way to the scene, would have saved a lot if it was closer,” Naluyima said during a plenary sitting held on Wednesday, 23 October 2024.

“Let us have continuous campaigns on how to handle road accidents, especially with fuel trucks. This incident would have been prevented if people were aware, but they unfortunately rushed to siphon fuel,” Naluyima added.

While chairing the sitting, the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, alluded to similar incidents that occurred in 2021 in Namungoona, and in 2019 in Rubirizi, and called for continued sensitisation of the public about the dangers of siphoning fuel.
“Such incidents point to the need for sensitising our locals on public safety during such incidents,” Among noted.

Hon. Paulson Luttamaguzi (DP, Nakaseke South County) urged the House to consider budget allocations to enable Uganda Police set up fire brigade stations across the country.
“I propose that in the next budget, we make it a necessity that every regional police station should be equipped with a fire brigade vehicle. Our time of lamentation is over, we are Members of Parliament and we can do that,” Luttamaguzi added.

Hon. Jonathan Odur (UPC, Erute County South) urged the government to initiate a process of re-inspecting all fuel tankers transporting fuel around the country, with a view of ensuring safety standards.
“Many tanks are fabricated for different purposes here in Kampala, for example, to ferry water. But because of challenges in the business environment, they are turned into fuel tankers. For one to transport fuel, there are standards that must be met to take care of extreme conditions like accidents,” Odur said.

Bukoto County East MP, Hon. Evans Kanyike urged relevant government agencies to implement the Presidential directive halting fuel trucks from driving through Kampala Metropolitan Area during day time.

The Speaker tasked the government to carry out a thorough investigation on the incident and present a report, on safety measures to curb the reoccurrence of such accidents.

The Government Chief Whip, Hon. Denis Hamson Obua, said relevant government ministries will be tasked with investigating the matter in relation to concerns raised by Legislators.

“One is the Ministry of Works and Transport on road safety, the Ministry of Energy on the guidelines relating to fuel trucks and the Ministry of Internal Affairs that will investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident,” said Obua.