Legislators on the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) has launched investigations into the death of an individual during the demolition of Plot 24 at St Balikudembe Market, popularly known as Owino Market, an incident that has circulated widely on social media.
While appearing before COSASE to respond to queries arising from the Auditor General’s report for the 2024/25 financial year, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Deputy Executive Director Benon Kigenyi was asked to clarify the circumstances surrounding the fatalities linked to the demolition.
COSASE Chairperson Medard Ssegoona expressed concern over the lack of clarity on the incident.
"What am equally disappointed about is that at this point, the person behind the demolition could have knowledge of how someone died. Was he or she knocked by the machine or by falling debris? I don’t know whether investigations have been conducted to find out if other persons were trapped in the debris," Ssegoona said.
Committee member Richard Sebamala of Bukoto Central also criticised the handling of the incident.
"I am really disturbed that somebody was found dead and no one can give us the name of that person. None of them knows if a family member was involved," he said.
"None of them even cares if that person was related to them. What if it was your relative? Why are you behaving so cold towards that innocent life?"
Kigenyi assured the committee that KCCA is taking the matter seriously.
"We began discussions on the demolition, and when they were removing the debris, the body of an unidentified person was discovered," he said. He confirmed that investigations are ongoing and that findings will be shared once the report is finalized.
Lawmakers’ concerns follow allegations that up to four people may have lost their lives during the demolition, which occurred in the early hours of March 7, 2026.
The Kampala Metropolitan Police, through spokesperson Rechael Kawala, confirmed joint investigations with KCCA to identify and hold accountable those responsible for the demolition.
