The fire destroyed property which includes five laptops, furniture, consoles, eight computers, three television sets, and mobile phones belonging to the presenters.
Fire has gutted Kiira Radio Station in Jinja Municipality. The fire which broke out 9:30 am razed both the main and production studios. The radio is now off air.
At the time of the fire, four staff were on air presenting the morning show called “Situka”.
Ismael Kiiza, the station's managing director also says that the fire destroyed property which includes the transmitter, five laptops, furniture, consoles, eight computers, three television sets, and mobile phones belonging to the presenters.
He says that they are yet to establish the cause of the fire.
“Following caution from Uganda Communications Commission last month, I decided to purchase modern and quality equipment which were installed yesterday but they have all perished in this fire,” Kiiza says.
Livingstone Bontwe, one of the presenters, says that the fire was first seen at 8:00 am but they managed to put it off. However at 9:30 am, the presenters saw smoke from the production studio.
Alice Nawili, a presenter says that the fire was put off by the onlookers and radio staff as they waited for the fire brigade from the Kiira Region Police Headquarters, which is 100 meters from the radio station.
//Cue in “akalilo akasose…
Cue out…gumaze gwaila,”.
Diana Nandawula, the Kiira region police spokesperson, blames the radio owners for delaying to contact the police.
//Cue in: “we realized that…
Cue out…fire is controlled,”
Kiira FM is the second radio station in Jinja to be gutted by fire. In March, Operation Philip was also destroyed by the fire.
