By Spy Uganda
According to reports, a fire has today’s afternoon gutted Uganda National Cultural Centre also known as National Theatre.
The National Theatre is the main component of the Uganda National Cultural Centre (UNCC).
TheSpy Uganda has learnt that the fire gutted the shops within the gardens.
Uganda Police Fire Brigade officers were seen trying to put out the flames that were ravaging the shops.
Luke Owoyesigyire, the Kampala Metropolitan deputy police spokesperson said a welder identified as Vincent Sanjo was arrested and detained at Kampala Central Police station on allegations of having caused the fires.
Sanjo is said to have been welding at one of the kiosks when the fire started with what some eyewitnesses said, sparks from the welding machine.
“Property worth millions of shillings has been destroyed in a fire that broke out at the National Theatre. The fire started as a result of welding from one of the kiosks and before it could spread, the police fire department put it off,” Owoyesgyire said.Sources who did not want to be quoted and spoke off record said the welder ignored the fact that the containers were thatched using grass and as he continued with the welding, the sparks landed on the grass sparking off the fire.
Designed by Peatfield and Bodgener Architects, National Theater was the first modern theatre in Uganda.
The 400-seat theatre was designed to cater for the needs of the small expatriate community resident in Kampala at the time and was opened on the 2nd of December 1959, this after an act of parliament had established the Uganda National Cultural Centre in 1959.
