Masaka Farms, one of Rwanda’s leading dairy producers, has temporarily suspended operations after a fire tore through its production facility in Kigali's industrial zoneon Saturday, July 11, causing extensive damage and bringing production to a standstill. ALSO READ: Fire guts factory, warehouses in Kigali industrial zone The fire also affected neighbouring warehouses belonging to ETG Agri Inputs Rwanda, which stores fertilisers, and W2Y Supermarket, where retail products were stocked. Authorities are still investigating what caused the fire and assessing the extent of the damage. When The New Times visited the area on Tuesday, July 14, the affected premises remained closed, with access restricted to investigators and other authorised personnel. ALSO READ: Emergency Ministry warns of fire outbreaks during dry season Damage estimated Masaka Farms estimates that it lost between $1 million and $1.5 million (about Rwf1.4 billion to Rwf2.1 billion), although the company says the figure remains preliminary pending official investigations and insurance assessments. ETG Agri Inputs Rwanda and W2Y Supermarket also confirmed suffering significant losses but said they would only disclose the value of the damage after completing their own assessments. All three companies said they have insurance cover. However, Masaka noted that while it expects compensation for damaged assets, business losses such as cancelled orders are unlikely to be covered. “We hope insurance will cover what has been lost, but they first have to complete their own assessment, and we are also waiting for the police report,” said Julian Martha Kiiza, the Deputy CEO of Masaka Farms. ALSO READ: Emergency Ministry calls for more fire extinguishers in secondary cities Cause still unknown Masaka Farms believes the fire spread into its premises from a neighbouring warehouse, although the company says only official investigations can determine exactly what happened. “The fire came from the neighbouring side. We have videos taken before it spread to our facility. But we are waiting for the police report because we cannot confirm the actual source,” Kiiza said. However, an official from ETG Agri Inputs Rwanda rejected the claim, saying it was too early to attribute responsibility before investigations are complete. “The police and Rwanda Investigation Bureau are carrying out investigations, and we respect that process. We should not make assumptions that could damage the image of any company before there is evidence,” the official told The New Times. He said ETG's premises were being used only as a fertiliser warehouse and were not operational when the fire broke out. The official also questioned suggestions that extreme heat could have ignited fertilisers during the night, saying such claims should not be treated as fact without scientific evidence. The police spokesperson ACP Boniface Rutikanga said investigators are examining several possible scenarios. “There are many narratives surrounding the cause of the fire, including claims that fertilisers exploded because of extreme heat and others suggesting electricity fluctuations before the outbreak,” he said. “Further investigations are ongoing to establish the real cause of the fire, and we have to be cautious about the information we share because any confirmation may implicate a concerned party.” ALSO READ: Govt issues new fire safety rules Production suspended Before the fire, Masaka processed at least 15,000 litres of dairy products every day, including fresh milk, yoghurt, butter, cheese, mascarpone and Greek yoghurt for both local and export markets. The company had planned to raise production to 20,000 litres per day during the second half of the year. Production has now stopped completely as the damaged facility undergoes cleanup and reconstruction. “We are closed for now. If everything goes well, we hope to return in a month or two, but it could take longer. At this stage, we cannot give an exact timeline,” Kiiza said. The shutdown is expected to affect domestic supply, export orders and distributors that rely on Masaka products. “We had pending export orders and distributors who depend entirely on us. That has all come to a stop, and rebuilding is now our priority,” Kiiza said. Before the incident, Masaka had already started developing another production facility near its current premises to accommodate its growing operations. The project, which had been progressing gradually, is now expected to be fast-tracked to help restore production sooner. “We had already planned to expand because the space had become too small. Now we have every reason to move much faster,” Kiiza said. The company said it is not considering relocating elsewhere, but will instead prioritise completing the new branch while rebuilding the damaged facility. ALSO READ: City extends support to family that lost three children in tragic fire incident Masaka says it intends to retain all 204 employees, including 110 deaf staff members, despite the temporary closure. “Our priority is keeping the team together while we rebuild,” Kiiza said. The disruption is also expected to affect about 2,500 dairy farmers who supply milk to the processor, local businesses that provide production materials and packaging, as well as around 150 children in six children's homes that receive dairy products from the company through its community support programmes. Although the total value of losses across all affected businesses has not yet been established, the investigation authorities say the scale of destruction points to extensive damage. Rutikanga urged businesses to strengthen fire prevention measures, including installing early fire detection systems, while calling on the public to refrain from spreading unverified information until investigations are complete.
