Two fires wipe out a fresh start for Kalangala’s small traders

Aloysius Katerega was using his fishing income to rebuild a home lost to fire when another blaze destroyed his rented accommodation. The second disaster, at Uganda’s Kaazi-Malanga landing site on September 21, pushed him back to the beginning. He now relies on a charcoal business that brings in little money, according to Daily Monitor Uganda (direct). His struggle reflects a wider problem in Kalangala: repeated fires are wiping out both shelter and the small enterprises meant to finance recovery.

Katerega lost his original home on May 24. He then rented a wooden room for Shs20,000 a month, buying timber with fishing earnings and using old roofing sheets to build on his land. Before he could finish, the September blaze destroyed more than 20 houses, including the rental structures where he was staying. Another survivor, 74-year-old Justine Nabatanzi, had restarted with help from neighbours after the May fire, renting a room and selling mandazi, a fried snack. The next fire took her home and belongings again. She now sleeps in a makeshift shelter and says she has received no relief.

Businesses lost, debts remain

The damage spread well beyond housing. Local leaders said mobile money outlets, which handle payments and transfers, charcoal businesses, fishing-net stores, bars, salons and rental units were affected. Kaazi-Malanga village chairperson Ashiraf Ssenoga said residents also lost cash, food, phones and motorcycles. Some had moved out of fishing to seek steadier earnings from small businesses. Those efforts have now been undone, while some owners still face loan obligations. Others, he said, are beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model, a government programme.

Ssenoga appealed to the Office of the Prime Minister and disaster management authorities for food, timber and roofing sheets. He said some residents had lost virtually everything needed to restart their businesses. The cause of the September 21 fire remains unknown, with residents awaiting a police report. Another blaze struck Kasenyi landing site in Entebbe the following afternoon, affecting dozens of households. An earlier fire at Mweena in Kalangala destroyed homes and businesses and left 15 residents looking for accommodation.

A fire truck cannot solve the access problem

The district has a long record of fires. Police recorded eight incidents within five months in 2022 and five within 10 months in 2024. In January 2025, the Uganda Police Force stationed a fire truck in Kalangala and opened a local fire prevention and rescue unit. Previously, engines had to travel from Masaka City and cross Lake Victoria by ferry, a journey that could take hours, regional police spokesperson Twaha Kasirye said.

The new truck has attended several incidents, including the September 21 blaze. But former village chairperson Frank Walusimbi said residents alerted police around 9.30pm and the vehicle arrived around 11pm. He also alleged that it ran out of water and needed refilling. District police commander Hillary Nuwahereza pointed to a separate obstacle: densely packed housing without access roads can prevent crews from reaching a fire even when they arrive promptly.

Nuwahereza’s warning: emergency crews can arrive on time and still be blocked from the fire by tightly packed homes and missing access roads.

Police have linked previous fires to electrical sparks, cooking stoves and petrol stored in wooden homes. Nuwahereza urged communities to separate fuel storage from living areas and establish places for firefighting supplies, including sand. The next issue to watch is whether prevention advice is matched by funding. Bujjumba Sub-county chairperson Fred Nsubuga said local leaders are considering a disaster-response allocation in the next financial year’s budget. No amount or final commitment was reported.