Posted On Thursday, 24th October 2024Members of Parliament have called for the establishment of fire brigade units at regional police stations across Uganda to improve emergency response and reduce the loss of lives and property caused by fire disasters.The call follows a tragic incident involving a fuel tanker that overturned in Kigogwa Town along the Kampala-Gulu Highway, resulting in the death of 15 people and destruction of several businesses on Tuesday, 22 October 2024.Hon. Betty Ethel Naluyima, the Wakiso District Woman Representative, said having fire stations in different parts of the country would help emergency teams respond faster and prevent disasters from escalating. She noted that relying mainly on the Kampala fire station creates delays when emergencies occur in distant areas.Naluyima said the long distance travelled by emergency responders to reach the Kigogwa accident scene could have made a significant difference if firefighting services had been available nearby. She also called for increased public awareness campaigns on road safety and the dangers of collecting fuel from accident scenes.
Speaker of Parliament Anita Among recalled similar tragedies that occurred in Namungoona in 2021 and Rubirizi in 2019, emphasizing the need for continuous sensitisation of communities about the risks involved in handling fuel during accidents.Hon. Paulson Luttamaguzi, Nakaseke South County MP, urged Parliament to prioritize funding for firefighting equipment, proposing that every regional police station should be equipped with a fire brigade vehicle to improve the country’s disaster response capacity.Hon. Jonathan Odur, Erute County South MP, called for the inspection of fuel tankers operating in the country to ensure they meet required safety standards, warning that some vehicles may have been modified from other uses and are not suitable for transporting fuel.Other legislators also raised concerns about fuel truck operations, including enforcement of restrictions on daytime movement of fuel tankers within the Kampala Metropolitan Area. Speaker Among directed government agencies to conduct investigations and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
