KATWE POLICE BARRACKS BURNT TO ASHES

By www.mknewslink.com Reporter

In Kampala—

Fire has gutted houses of police officers at Katwe Police Division destroying property worth millions of shillings.

The fire started at about 9:30am on Thursday in a structure that is shared by several polices.

Mr Siraje Bakaleke, the commander for Kampala Metropolitan Police South, said the fire has been contained.

“We suspect that the fire started from an electric coil that was left unattended to in one of the houses. The good thing fire prevention officers have been able to stop the fire from spreading and saved other homes,” Mr Bakaleke said.

Most of the police officers had gone to work when the fire started.

Fires in police barracks are common because most officers reside in ramshackled units since the force has a shortage of decent staff houses.   In 205 and 2017 fire broke out in Naguru police barracks.

At least three families share a house in any of the city police barracks. Others left without houses have constructed their own rough-and-ready units within the barracks.

Meanwhile, several journalists who had gone to cover the fire outbreak received a hostile reception from police officers who pelted them with stones.

www.mknewslink reporter was blocked from accessing the station as police Fire Brigade battled the fire.

SOURCE: www.mknewslink.com

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