Kampala, Uganda | URN | At least eighteen worshipers who were attending lunchtime fellowship on Monday 15, March 2021 afternoon at Fido Dido building along Kampala Road are nursing injuries after being hit by a falling ceiling.
Kampala Metropolitan police confirmed one person dead only identified as Maama Naava, a resident of Nsambya in Kampala city who succumbed to serious injuries.
Fido Dido houses a branch of Kansanga Miracle Centre Church. The ceiling caved in as Pastor Charles Kasibante was conducting the lunch hour service.
Abdu Monday, one of the survivors, says there were more than 100 people in the service when the ceiling collapsed.
He says that most of the affected people were occupying the front seats.
Salim Kiggundu said he was in the front praying. He just saw things falling abruptly. Kiggundu run to the alter and was covered by dust.
Although witnesses put the number of the injured at 26 people, Assistant Superintendent of Police –ASP Godfrey Okobo, who led the Fire and Rescue Services team said eighteen people were injured.
Okobo says most of the people used the various exits to vacate the building. According to Police, eighteen of the injured people sustained serious injuries.
Mr Nkuubi Kenneth, one of the businessmen who operates in the building allege that a technician had climbed in the ceiling after power went off only to come down tumbling with the ceiling.
“The ceiling is very old. Police delayed to arrive. I used my car to transport some of the victims to hospital,” he said.
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA’s) physical planner, Vile Agaba, attributed the problem to the age of the building.
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He explains that the building looks strong outside but when they entered to assess the problem, they noticed that it is very old and needs to be put out of use.
KCCA said it was going to launch an operation targeting all old buildings before they cave in and kill people operating in them.
Several buildings have caved in different parts of Kampala such as Kansanga, Makindye, Wakaliga and Makerere claiming several lives and leaving other nursing injuries.
