Authorities puzzled over fire inside historic Catholic church in Uganda

Devotees and residents at Kigungu Landing Site in Entebbe are puzzled following a Thursday night fire at the historic Kigungu Mapeera Catholic Sub-parish, the first Catholic Church in Uganda.

Head of laity at the church in Entebbe Municipality, Annet Bibiyana Nabusoba, told journalists that the fire broke out at around 10pm on the tabernacle and around the cupboards near the alter that held the Holy Communion as well as the chalice, priests’ and alter boys’ attires worth millions of shillings.

“Residents raised alarm that the church had caught fire. By the time I reached, I found a catechist who had already been informed about the fire trying to put it out with some youths,” she said on Friday.

Nabusobo said the source of the fire was yet to be established or if some people aimed to burn the church which was built by the Catholic Church in memory of Fr Simon Lourdel Mapeera and Bro Delmas Amans, the missionaries who introduced the religion in the country on February 17, 1879.

Catechist David Katongole said he was alerted about the fire by a one Emma who knocked at his door as he was preparing to have supper.

“I first hesitated to open. I then did and ran out with him and moved a short distance where I saw the fire burning inside church,” he said.

Katongole added that: “I was able to open the church and together with a few people, got jerrycans and began pouring water to put out the fire.

According to Katongole, one of the youths who helped to put out the fire said he had “seen an individual inside the church with what looked like a candle.”

“He (the youth) said he didn’t pay much attention but was taken aback after the fire broke out minutes later,” the catechist told Monitor.

Entebbe Division B chairperson Richard Sekyondo, who is also the secretary for peace and justice in Bugonga Parish under which Mapeera Church falls, said they were still baffled since there aren’t any known disputes involving the church.

“We called the police in the morning which sent a team that searched the church and retrieved samples of the burnt items to help in their investigations. The church doesn’t have so many things that could have caused the fire, the electricity socket is on the opposite side of the church which wasn’t affected, and the cable is always removed at night,” he said.

Efforts to get comment from Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire were futile after our calls went unanswered by press time.