Agency
A retired soldier in Acut A village, Ngai sub-county, Oyam District, was left in tears on Monday evening after a mysterious fire destroyed his nearly completed building.
The fire broke out at around 7 PM, with reports indicating that an unknown person set fire to grass packed inside a storeroom of the building, which was meant to be used for constructing a grass-thatched house.
The fire destroyed the structure, leaving it beyond renovation.
The soldier, identified as Bonny Obwona, had spent Shillings 20 million—funds he received upon retiring from service—on the construction.
He was expecting to complete the building by next month but now faces the devastating loss of all timbers, iron sheets, and ceiling boards, which were reduced to ash.
Paul Ociti, the area councilor for Acut parish, confirmed the incident, adding that no arrests have been made yet. The case has been reported to Ngai Police Station.
This fire incident is part of a broader issue in the region, where bush burning, often caused by hunters setting fires to hunt wild animals, has resulted in widespread destruction.
Between December and March this year, over ten people in Ngai sub-county lost their grass-thatched houses to wildfires, and more than 50 acres of crops, including cassava, maize, and sorghum, were destroyed by the flames.
