By Jamillah Kemigisa
Health workers at Kagadi District General Hospital were left in shock on Saturday morning after a devastating fire gutted their staff quarters, destroying property worth millions of shillings and leaving several families displaced.
The blaze erupted around 11:30 a.m., while most of the affected staff were attending to patients. Although no lives were lost, personal belongings were reduced to ashes, forcing nurses, doctors, and their families to start afresh. Several residents who rushed to help sustained minor injuries while trying to salvage property.
Hospital administrator Peter Simon Tumusiime confirmed the incident, saying investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing. He noted that the tragedy highlighted the poor state of the hospital’s aging housing facilities.
“Fortunately, no lives were lost, but the nurses lost their belongings, whose value is yet to be established. The affected quarters were constructed in 1968, and this incident underscores the urgent need for government intervention to renovate and upgrade hospital infrastructure,” Tumusiime said.
Among those most affected was Edger Kwikiriza, a health practitioner at the hospital. His children, who were inside the quarters at the time of the fire, escaped unharmed.
“I thank God my children are safe. I also appreciate the quick response from residents who helped save some of our property. But this tragedy reveals the urgent need to improve our living conditions. These quarters are too old and unsafe,” Kwikiriza said.
Eyewitnesses reported that the fire started on the roof of one house before rapidly spreading to adjoining rooms. With no immediate fire brigade presence, locals resorted to water and improvised methods to contain the flames.
Denis Turyagiira, a resident of Kiiraba, was among the first to respond. “By the time I arrived, the building was already engulfed. We did everything we could to stop the fire from spreading to the other quarters,” he said.
Several residents criticized authorities over delayed response. Gerald Namanya, a boda boda rider stationed at the hospital, recalled a similar incident two years ago. “The fire brigade came late then, and again, they were delayed. It’s frustrating,” he said.
Moses Musinguzi, another resident, highlighted the region’s limited disaster preparedness. “In the whole Albertine region, we have only one fire brigade unit. One team cannot handle emergencies across such a wide area,” he said.
Kagadi District Police Commander Kenneth Ampurira cautioned staff against returning to the gutted quarters until a full assessment is completed. He also urged the Ministry of Water and Environment to equip government institutions with functional water points to improve fire preparedness.
Meanwhile, political mobilizer Yasin Mugabi of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) criticized the government for failing to protect public facilities and workers. “This is not the first time Kagadi Hospital has been hit by fire. How many more tragedies must happen before the government invests in fire safety and proper infrastructure?” he asked.
This is the second major fire at Kagadi Hospital in just two years, raising serious concerns about infrastructure decay, inadequate fire safety measures, and weak disaster response systems in the region.
As investigations continue, displaced health workers remain stranded without immediate housing alternatives. For many, the loss is not only material—it represents years of hard work, savings, and personal memories reduced to ashes.
