Three children perish in Wakiso house fire

According to Mr Herbert Mubiru, one of the first responders, the blaze, suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit, broke out around midnight

Residents of Mpala Cell in Katabi Town Council, Wakiso District, were left in shock on Friday after three siblings died in a house fire that gutted their rented apartment in the early hours of the morning.

According to Mr Herbert Mubiru, one of the first responders, the blaze, suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit, broke out around midnight, killing 12-year-old Ellah Namiiro, 5-year-old Amani Namulema, and 3-year-old Namujju Tamale. The children had reportedly been locked inside the house by their mother.

“We later learned that the parents were not at home at the time of the fire,” Mr Mubiru said.

Neighbours told this publication that the children’s mother, Ms Julie Nalubwama, had locked them inside before going out for the night. She allegedly returned to find the house ablaze, as residents struggled to put out the flames. The children’s father, Mr Lenon Kavuma, was said to be away on a business trip at the time.

Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police PRO, ASP Luke Owoyesigyire, confirmed that investigations have commenced into the tragic incident.

“Preliminary findings indicate that the mother of the victims, Nalubwama Julie, had left them unattended, while the father, Kavuma Lenon, was away in Jinja for work,” he said.

Mr Owoyesigyire explained that the fire broke out at about 1 am and was reported to the police by the local LC1 chairperson. “The Fire and Rescue Services responded promptly and extinguished the blaze. Two bodies were recovered outside the burnt house, while the third was found inside, burnt beyond recognition,” he said.

The scene was documented, witness statements recorded, and the bodies conveyed to the City Mortuary for a postmortem examination. Investigations into the exact cause of the fire are ongoing.