A fire at Uganda House in the Kenyan capital Nairobi during the protests against Finance Bill 2024 has President Yoweri Museveni’s government talking on a matter they could have largely ignored if it did not affect Kampala.
Tuesday’s protests meant to occupy Parliament and other government infrastructure left at least five people dead and over 100 injured as police fired tear gas and live bullets to disperse protesters. Protesters breached barricades at parliament and set a section of it on fire.
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One of the buildings burnt was Uganda House. Uganda’s government, through it’s the permanent secretary of the ministry of foreign affairs, Vincent Bagiire Waiswa, says the protesters “abandoned the principle of peaceful demonstrations and took the path of destruction of properties.”
Video footage showed Kenyans breaking into Uganda House before setting it on fire.
Uganda House is a six-floor commercial building located on Kenyatta Avenue in the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD). PS Bagiire accused the Kenyan protesters of vandalizing and setting the building on fire.
NO STAFF IN UGANDA HOUSE
The Permanent Secretary added that the building had been undergoing renovation and its reopening was scheduled for Friday, June 28, 2024. By the time of the protests, Uganda House only had commercial tenants occupying its ground floor.
He described the fire as causing “extensive damage to the property.” The Nairobi Fire Department put out the fire.
“The other floors, including the Third Floor which previously housed the Consular Office, had been vacated to allow for renovations,” said Bagiire. “Whereas we regret the said incident that led to the destruction of the property, we commend the Nairobi Fire Department for putting out the fire.”
PS Bagiire also noted that no people were killed or seriously injured in Uganda House. “While there is extensive damage to the property, we are grateful that there are no reported fatalities or serious injuries that have been identified so far,” he said.
Adding, “It is also important to note that none of the Diplomatic or Consular staff were in the building at the time the fire broke out.”
UGANDA CONDEMNS VIOLENCE
Bagiire said that even after the burning of Uganda House, relations between Kampala and Nairobi have remained “solid.” He further delivered Uganda’s condemnation of the violence that characterized Tuesday’s protests,” noted Bagiire.
“The Government of the Republic of Uganda would like to categorially state that our relations with the Government and indeed the people of the Republic of Kenya remain solid. We support peaceful demonstrations as a democratic right but we condemn in the strongest terms, violence that leads to destruction of property and loss of lives.
We therefore call for calm, discourage unnecessary and unhelpful speculation and premature conclusions to allow for investigations into the matter.”
On Tuesday night, President William Ruto described protesters as “dangerous” criminals, their actions as “treasonous” and vowed to punish them. (Read Ruto’s full address Here).
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