Uganda seeks answers on fire at embassy in Kenya

Ugandan diplomats and a contractor were last night working overdrive to establish the cause of a fire that gutted the Uganda High Commission building in Nairobi, Kenya, and the resulting damage.

Mr Henry Oryem-Okello, the state minister for International Affairs, told this newspaper last night that the destruction was “colossal”, but details will be reported to the ministry’s top management by Permanent Secretary Vincent Bagiire this morning.

The building went up in flames on a day when violence engulfed Kenya, with demonstrators breaching and ransacking Parliament, leaving open the question of whether the inferno was related to the protests or ongoing refurbishment works.

“If it was a result of the protests, we strongly condemn in all its facets any acts of hooliganism, thuggery, violence and arson,” Mr Oryem-Okello said.

The building has been under renovation and was due for reoccupation in the coming weeks. It remained unclear if it had been insured, and we were unable by press time to establish the cost of renovation.

Officials were reportedly working on new tenancy agreements, but the fire smoked up the hopes of the Uganda government raking cash by subletting the premier property.

“This [inferno], whatever the cause, will not impact our relations with Kenya and there is nothing to erode or disrupt our good neighbourliness,” Minister Oryem added.

In a video filmed against the flaming house in Nairobi, AIGP John Ndugutse, the police attaché at Uganda’s High Commission there, sounded heart-broken by the disaster unfolding before his eyes.

“This [in the recording] is our Uganda House [in Nairobi burning]. Now I am here helpless; no fire tenders, no water and ... We are likely to lose this house because the fire is too big,” he said.

He added: “It’s terrible. I am told there are only three water bowsers in this city (Nairobi). So, we are losing Uganda House the way I can see. It’s very bad, it’s hurting. This shouldn’t have been coming to us at this time.”

The chaotic turn of events yesterday followed a decision by Kenyan lawmakers in the afternoon to pass a widely opposed Finance Tax Bill that introduces multiple higher taxes.

Shortly after the vote and the National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula adjourned the House to 9:30am today, the demonstrators quickly massed up in record numbers and overwhelmed security forces to storm and occupy the August House, part of which they set ablaze.

In a televised address at 9pm last night, President William Ruto called the unprecedented incursion treason.