Prime
Properties worth billions lost in maize mill fire
Residents inspect the wreckage of the factories in Nakuwadde-Bbira in Wakiso Sub-county, Wakiso District yesterday. Photo | Micheal Kakumirizi
What you need to know:
- Mr Collin Mpagi, the manager of KKZ Group Millers, a factory owned by Sudanese nationals, said they lost property worth more than Shs300 million.
Maize milling factory owners, workers and traders at Nakuwadde-Bbira in Wakiso Sub-county, Wakiso District are counting losses after fire gutted their businesses, destroying property worth billions.
The incident happened yesterday morning. The affected factories include Serera Maize Millers, KKZ Group Millers, RB maize millers, Above Maize Millers, and a company which makes sacks.
Mr Collin Mpagi, the manager of KKZ Group Millers, a factory owned by Sudanese nationals, said they lost property worth more than Shs300 million.
“The fire started at around 5am. It was raining heavily and thunder struck a power pole and ignited a fire that spread quickly. It took about 20 minutes for the fire to completely destroy the factory,” he said.
He appealed to the government to come to their rescue, saying they have bank loans that they need to pay back.
A witness said the downpour caused a power blackout and shortly after, they had a bang before fire started.
Mr Ivan Mukembo, the director of MI Grain Millers Limited, said he had several loans and is not sure how he will service them following the incident.
“Maize and flour plus my milling machines have been destroyed and we have not yet paid our suppliers in the villages, they want their money,” Mr Mukembo said.
He said at the time of the incident, there were more than three tonnes of flour and maize worth Shs60 million and a milling machine worth Shs100 million in the factory.
He asked the police fire brigade to always swiftly respond to such incidents and save people from losses.
“They take a lot of time to arrive at the scene and when they come, at times they don’t come with water,” Mr Mukembo said.
Mr Muzamiru Ngoobi, the director of Bayosa Produce Millers, said his manager called him and informed him about the fire.
He said by the time he got to the scene, more than three machines were destroyed.
Mr Ngoobi said he lost four machines and more than four tonnes of maize and flour which cost about Shs8 billion.
Mr Farouk Mutumba, a trader, said he paid for maize flour worth Shs2.5 million but the factories were all destroyed.
Mr Abdurahuman Kasumba, a guard at Kirabo Super Maize Millers, said when the fire broke out, he informed his neighbours who helped him move some of the machines to another room.
“We lost two CCTV cameras in the fire, the iron sheets, and poles were partially destroyed,” he said.
Mr Sabasi Mwesigwa, the manager of Sesera Maize Millers, said 100 of his workers, most of them youth, were staying at the factory premises.
He said the fire destroyed their home as well as 84 tonness of maize, his offices and machines.
PREVIOUS INCIDENTS
• In February 2023, millers in Kisenyi were left counting losses after fire gutted their stores in Kakajjo Zone, Kisenyi in Kampala Central Division and destroyed more than 50 milling machines, maize and chicken feed, among others.
• Another incident happened in January 2022, when fire burnt more than 45 maize mills in the same area leaving the traders crying foul.
• In June 2017, there was another fire outbreak in the same area.
