Two Children Killed in House Fire in Kawempe

Kampala Metropolitan Police are investigating a fatal house fire that claimed the lives of two children on the evening of June 25, 2026, in Kiyanja Zone, Kawempe Division, Kampala.

According to ASP Luke Owoyesigyire, Deputy Public Relations Officer for Kampala Metropolitan Police, preliminary investigations indicate that the children’s mother had briefly left them at home while she went to a nearby trading centre.

Before leaving, she reportedly instructed her eight-year-old child to return to the house and light a candle because there was no electricity. Shortly afterwards, the house caught fire.

Neighbours responded after an alarm was raised and attempted to rescue the occupants. However, despite their efforts, two children were found dead inside the burning house.

The deceased have been identified as a 13-year-old girl living with a disability and a three-year-old boy.

Police officers, together with the Fire Prevention and Rescue Services, responded to the scene, extinguished the fire, documented the incident, and conveyed the bodies to City Mortuary Mulago for postmortem examinations.

ASP Owoyesigyire said the family lived in a congested single-room house in a densely populated informal settlement, and all household property was destroyed in the blaze. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Police have urged the public to exercise extreme caution when using candles and other open flames, particularly in homes where children may be left unattended.

Investigations into the incident are ongoing.