A massive fire engulfed the northern wing of Owino Market (St Balikuddembe) in Kampala at approximately 1:00am on Tuesday morning, destroying over 500 market stalls and causing an estimated UGX 8 billion in losses.
Three fire trucks from KCCA Fire & Rescue responded within 20 minutes but the blaze, fanned by dry-season winds, took over four hours to contain. No fatalities have been reported but seven traders who had been sleeping in their stalls were treated for smoke inhalation at Mulago Hospital.
"We have lost everything," said Hajjat Nakamya, a wholesale fabric trader. "Some of us have been here for 30 years. Where do we go now?"
The cause of the fire is under investigation. The Uganda Police Fire Department suspects an electrical fault in the market's aging wiring.
