Police has arrested and questioned several senior Ministry of Health officials who suspiciously reported on duty to ascertain the cause of Sunday noon fire that destroyed unspecified property in the Quality Assurance and Health Promotion offices in Wandegeya, Kampala.
The fire happened less than 24 hours before appearing before appearing before the Parliament Accounts Committee over embezzlement of funds.
Immaculate Kyatusimire, the Wandegeya division Police commander who was at the scene said they were still carrying out investigations and could not rule out foul play by some of the MoH officials who could have wanted to destroy evidence.
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The fire which started at about 2:30pm, took the Police manning the Ministry headquarters by surprise as the workers who were in offices started running out of the buildings after smoke started billowing from Block C. Interestingly, the fire spared the t the office of Dr. Anthony Mbonye the acting Director General of Health Services.
Our reporter talked to Dr. Jackson Amone, the Acting Commissioner Clinical Services reported to the Ministry headquarters to dispatch vehicles and staff for the commencement of the National meningitis vaccination exercise starting today in 39 districts in Northern Uganda only to be welcomed by the blurring smoke from the building.
“I had just reached home and the deputy chairperson of the Health Committee of Parliament sent me a WhatsApp message asking me if it is true that my office has caught fire, that is why I have come back,” he said, surrounded by police officers at the MoH main entrance and asked to help with the investigations.
One of the drivers told TheUgandan that his boss Dr. Gerald Mutungi the Program Officer non Communicable Diseases who was in his office, choked and collapsed because of smoke which had engulfed the offices but was rescued. On regaining consciousness, Dr. Mutungi was immediately engaged by Police officers who quizzed him for close to one hour.
As news of the fire outbreak circulated on social media, MoH officials who were worried about the safety of their offices also rushed to the ministry to check whether their files and work were safe.
