A residential unit at the Nsambya Police Barracks family quarters in Kampala suffered extensive damage after a fire broke out on Sunday night.
The blaze erupted around 9:45 pm on the first floor of a three-storey block of flats for police officers. Teams from the Uganda Police Fire and Rescue Services quickly responded and successfully contained the fire, preventing it from spreading to other parts of the building.
A fire and rescue officer involved in the operation confirmed that no one was injured or killed in the incident.
“We received the alert and our teams responded quickly. They managed to contain the fire before it spread to the rest of the building. However, most of the furniture and other household property in the affected flat was burnt to ashes,” the officer stated.
The exact cause of the fire had not yet been determined at the time of reporting, with investigations still underway. Early indications suggest it may have resulted from an electrical fault or human negligence — two of the most common triggers for fires in Uganda.
The officer credited the rapid containment partly to the construction of the older police housing blocks, which use more fire-resistant materials compared to many newer buildings.
This latest incident adds to several recent fires that have impacted police facilities across the country. In 2023, a fire at Ntinda Police Barracks destroyed various Traffic Police exhibits, including uniforms, vehicles, motorcycle number plates, and national identity cards. Earlier this year, another blaze destroyed exhibits at Kyebando Police Post along the Northern Bypass.
In response to the Nsambya fire, the officer called on police personnel and the general public to prioritise fire prevention. He encouraged people to learn basic firefighting skills and take part in community fire safety programmes.
“Anyone can own a fire extinguisher. People should work with us and attend our community outreaches to learn how to prevent fire outbreaks. The police headquarters often directs officers to attend these trainings, but many do not turn up,” he said.
He also raised concerns about modifications to government-built police housing, where some officers install wooden partitions to create extra rooms. Such changes, he warned, greatly increase fire risks and allow flames to spread faster.
According to the Uganda Police Annual Crime and Fire Report 2025, the Fire and Rescue Services handled 1,847 fire incidents nationwide. Residential buildings accounted for 42 per cent of these fires, with electrical faults and human negligence identified as the primary causes.