Three killed as ‘indebted’ Nansana landlady sets house on fire

What the report says

Three people died in a house fire in Nansana West Ward, a suburb of Kampala, after a landlady allegedly set the building ablaze in the early hours of Monday, according to The Observer. Police said the fire began around 2 a.m. in a property divided into six rental units. The dead were identified as the landlady, Violet Nanyombi, and two tenants, Annet Namulondo and her husband, Isabirye Bumali.

The report says Nanyombi may have first led her nine-year-old daughter out of the house before the fire started, giving the child money for school fees and a handwritten note that appeared to outline what to do with her property and who should care for the child. Local leaders and police described the circumstances as unclear, but said the note mentioned a debt and daily repayment pressure. Nansana Municipal Mayor Sam Mugabi said preliminary information suggested she had been under pressure from moneylenders.

Police and local officials said the blaze had grown intense before firefighters arrived, leaving neighbours and tenants to try to put it out with water. Kampala Metropolitan police commander SSP Moses Nanoka said the case underlined the need for faster emergency calls and stronger neighbourhood watch systems. The incident is still under investigation, with homicide teams expected to review what happened and whether more victims could be found.