The Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party has asked the government to carry out immediate investigations into the Kigogwa petroleum truck explosion that left over 15 people dead, others injured, and property worth millions destroyed.
While addressing the press at the party headquarters at Uganda House in Kampala on October 23, 2024, the UPC party head of media and communication, Faisal Muzeyi, said that there should be investigations as there could have been some negligence on the part of police and local leaders.
“UPC notes that the area of the accident was supposed to be cordoned off immediately, and this meant that the local leadership and police in the area had to be at the forefront of restraining people from going near the scene of the accident as the rapid response units from police and other security agencies swung into action; this didn’t happen in time and resulted in deaths,“ Muzeyi said.
Muzeyi also asked the government to support the people who have been affected since some were victims of the blast even when they were going on with their daily businesses.
“Let the government and all stakeholders get involved as quickly as possible to handle the aftereffects of Black Tuesday, which include enhanced treatment for those who got injured due to fire burns and decent burials for our departed ones, as well as compensation or financial assistance,” Muzeyi added.
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He, however, cautioned members of the public against running to accident scenes, especially fuel trucks, to loot fuel, adding that some people wouldn’t have died if they had kept at a distance.
“Please always keep a distance; these things are very dangerous, and let’s always be careful and not put your life in danger because you want to make simple money from a small looded fuel,” Muzeyi warned.
The Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, while appearing on the floor of parliament, asked for investigations into the incident and also requested the government to offer support to the families that lost their loved one and also reach out to the injured and traders whose shops got burned.
“I would also like to call upon the government; let us help these people as expeditiously as we can; many have died, many are in hospitals; let us support them. An accident happened; we hope the investigation report comes out soonest, but let us support those people,” Ssenyonyi said.
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The accident that happened on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, left over 15 dead; many are still badly injured, and treating wounds in the hospitals and merchandise worth millions was destroyed.
This is not the first time such an incident is happening in Uganda; in July 2013, over 35 people died and many survived with injuries as they tried to get fuel from a fuel tanker involved in an accident. Many, mainly boda boda raiders,were caught up in the fire and lost their lives.
