Between 2017 and 2025 this sprawling business suburb of Kigali, known as Agakiriro (meaning where to get rich or healed), formerly known as Agakinjiro (the slaughter place) caught fire at least eight times. First time, and maybe second time, could be excused as mere accidents. ALSO READ: Shock as Gakiriro woodshops are gutted by major fire But eight times over? It begins to look like a pattern and people start to assign their own meaning and interpretations. People have started to associate the area with fire outbreaks, rather than the various businesses conducted there. The latest incident, on May 30, found me in Musanze, Northern Province, and it was on many peoples' lips. I Kigali bimeze nabi. Agakinjiro (they still call it by its old name) ka Gisozi kongeye gushya (things are bad in Kigali. Agakinjiro of Gisozi is burning again), I overheard one person telling another on phone. ALSO READ: Govt to spend Rwf3bn on new fire and rescue equipment Insurance service providers begin to question the essence of providing cover to any business located in that area. This fire incident is reported to have started at around 4am (fires are known to breakout at awkward hours) in the morning, and by the time I arrived at the scene at 4:30pm, visibly exhausted fire fighting personnel were still active although they had the blaze under control. They could still be active for another day, due to flashovers sprouting up here and there in the timber workshops. ALSO READ: Gasabo: Garage fire guts property worth Rwf150m I have said this before. And, let me say it again. Fire is the most immediate threat to our built infrastructure today. In the preceding years, we had fire outbreaks in some of the major buildings in Kigali and other parts of the country. Thanks to the vastly improved firefighting performance of RNP's Fire and Rescue Brigade, in each case a major disaster was averted. I refer to these incidents as wake up calls, and we should heed them before we lose any jewel of our crown. The government, together with private business groups, should implement stringent fire preventive and protection measures. The government should start by looking at and reviewing the fire safety regulations in place. To my knowledge, existing regulations are weak and scattered here and there. Today’s Rwanda is different from the Rwanda of 20 to 30 years ago. The Fire and Rescue Brigade services need to be localised to the lowest local police unit, depending on the fire risk category of the area. That calls for a comprehensive fire risk audit or assessment of each city and town across the country. ALSO READ: Gasabo: Fire outbreak kills man, two children Let's not play with fire; it can pose a serious threat to national development. Busy business areas like Gakiriro, community markets and industrial zones should have their own fire marshals and firefighting units embedded in the area. Fire marshals can deal with fire prevention and enforcement of fire safety rules in their area, but they also can tackle fire outbreaks while the risk is still small. Let me conclude by appreciating the efforts of RNP's fire fighting unit. They are doing a superb job of protecting national infrastructure. The author is a fire risk management consultant and Managing Director of MuGOLDS International Ltd.
