UGANDA, Buvuma | Real Muloodi News | Residents of Mayinja Village, Busamuzi Sub County in Buvuma District were left in shock on Monday morning 8th April, 2024, following a devastating house fire that claimed the lives of two siblings.
Ali Mugabi, aged 4, and Rania Kagoya, aged 2, tragically lost their lives in the fire that engulfed their grandmother’s grass-thatched house.
The incident occurred around 9 pm on Sunday while their grandmother, Ms Sarah Nandego, was accompanying three other children home for a brief errand.
Recounting the event, Ms Nandego expressed her disbelief, stating, “I heard the alarms, but I was very far and I couldn’t imagine that something bad could affect the two children left behind, but I was shocked to see my house in flames after reaching home.”
She attributed the cause of the fire to a lit candle left unattended inside the house, as she had taken a solar rechargeable torch with her to provide light for the children.
Pastor Charles Biyinzika, a resident in the area, described the futile attempts made by neighbours to extinguish the fire.
He explained, “We tried to put out the fire in the absence of the owner, but it proved difficult due to heavy smoke that was emanating from the house.”
The house, roofed with inflammable papyruses, posed additional challenges to the firefighting efforts.
In the aftermath of the tragic incident, Mr Adrian Wasswa Ddungu, the chairperson of Buvuma District, appealed to the government for additional funds to address the lack of essential infrastructure in the area.
He emphasized the need for a public pit latrine, stating, “If that household had a pit latrine, the grandmother wouldn’t have gone far, but the problem we have as a district is that we do not have funds to dig at least one pit latrine in the area.”
Buvuma District, characterized by a rocky terrain, faces difficulties in constructing pit latrines, resulting in over 62% of the population lacking access to adequate sanitation facilities.
Moreover, the water situation in the district presents further challenges, with approximately 64% of the population lacking access to safe water sources.
Many residents are compelled to trek long distances to the bushes near the lake shores, known as “Mabanga,” to fetch water, exacerbating the risk of waterborne diseases and sanitation-related issues.
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