Vincent Bagiire Waiswa, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed today that some parts of Uganda House in Nairobi had been damaged by fire.
A video shows this incident occurred as security forces were trying to control crowds amid ongoing riots.
Early reports suggest that looters targeted the commercial shops within Uganda House, located on Kenyatta Avenue in Nairobi. “I can confirm that our property was burned on Tuesday afternoon during the riots in Nairobi. While we confirmed that all staff are safe, it is still too early to ascertain the damage caused. They were still trying to put out the fire by Tuesday evening, so we don’t know how far it has spread,” Bagiire stated during a telephone interview.
Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze by Tuesday evening. Uganda House, which was acquired in the mid-1980s, recently underwent renovations to expand its space. The building was scheduled for recommissioning this week.
The Uganda High Commission occupied one of the floors in Uganda House, while the lower levels housed a shopping center. This commercial area became a prime target for looters who also broke into various other businesses in Nairobi, including supermarkets.
According to security sources, the contractor was present at Uganda House, finalizing preparations for the building’s recommissioning, when the looters struck.
Earlier on Tuesday, Kenyan security forces had been deployed to protect all diplomatic premises, including Uganda House. Uganda’s chancery, the main building of the High Commission, is situated on Riverside Drive, a prestigious area in Nairobi known for its bustling business hubs. This neighborhood is favored by diplomats, expatriate investors, and local business owners.
VIDEO
Video footage captured by @citizentvkenya shows Kenyans breaking into Uganda House in Nairobi before to setting it on fire. #REJECT_FinanceBill2024 pic.twitter.com/K7S6Drb5tv
— Remmy Bahati (@BahatiRemmy) June 25, 2024
Credit: Ankole Times.