In a distressing incident, fire engulfed the premises of the Hoima Chief Magistrates Court in Kijungu cell, Hoima City, causing significant damage to numerous case files. The fire, which commenced at approximately 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning, reportedly originated from the archives of the High Court, situated just a short distance from the Albertine Region Police Headquarters in Hoima East Division.
Julius Hakiza, the spokesperson for the Albertine Region Police, disclosed that the local residents alerted the police when they observed flames emerging from the court premises at around 6 a.m. In response, the police swiftly dispatched their fire and rescue team to control the fire and secured the area, initiating an investigation into the incident.
Hakiza further mentioned that, at present, the authorities are scrutinizing CCTV footage to determine the precise cause of the fire. As of this afternoon, the judiciary has not released any official information regarding the incident.
This unfortunate event bears similarities to a previous occurrence in December 2022, when unidentified individuals unlawfully entered the Hoima Chief Resident State Attorney’s office and set fire to numerous case files. The affected offices are situated along the Hoima-Kampala road, in close proximity to the offices of the Resident City Commissioner (RCC), Hoima Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Albertine Regional Police Headquarters, and District Internal Security Officer (DISO).
The intruders gained access to the offices by cutting through the chain link fence, subsequently igniting a significant number of case files.
