President Yoweri Museveni has promised full government support to help rebuild the main mausoleum at the Kasubi Tombs that was burned down in a fire last night.

The President arrived in Kasubi at about 12:18 p.m., about an hour after several people were shot at by military police at the gate to the tombs. The shooting victims were caught in between a gang of youth blocking the entrance to the tombs and the police who were trying to gain access to the site.

Seven people have been confirmed hit by live bullet fire. However there are reports of many more wounded, but these could not be independently verified.

President Museveni was escorted to the Kasubi Tombs by his son, Lt. Col. Muhoozi Kaneirugaba the commander of the Special Forces Unit of the Presidential Guard Brigade. He was taken around the site by Kabuza Mukasa, the Buganda Minister of Culture.

As he entered the compound, President Museveni was heckled by some people gathered in the crowd who accused him of being responsible for the fire. The President did not appear to be bothered by this, proceeding to the main mausoleum, which is called Muzibu Azaala Mpanga. Since the entrance to the ruins of the mausoleum was blocked off by a reed fence, Museveni went around the building to the site where the fire had started and entered it through the back.

President Museveni met briefly with the Katikiro of the tombs, Omulangira Mulumba Ssalongo and the Chief Royal Guard, Tom Musitwa. He questioned them about the possible origin of the fire and put them to task to explain reports that fire brigade tanks that rushed to the scene were barred from accessing it by a mob. He also wanted to know whether there was electricity at the time of the fire and who was present when it broke out.

Omulangira Ssalongo said the fire started from the reed fence just behind the tomb. He said it isn’t know who or what set it off, only that once the roof caught fire, it spread quickly throughout the building.

Ssalongo said that at the time only a handful of attendants, most of them old women, were in Kasubi at the time. He said he couldn’t name any of the people who prevented the Fire Brigade from doing the work because a large mob was involved.

President Museveni was also briefed by the Deputy Director of the Criminal Investigations Department, Andrew Sorowen. Sorowen told him that investigations into the cause of the fire were difficult because the site had been tampered with. He said the probe was still on going.

Not everyone who spoke to the President was silent about their beliefs. Omulangira Edward Simbwa, a member of the Buganda royal family, said he didn’t believe the fire was an accident. He said the roof to the tomb was raised quite far from the floor and chances that it could be have caught fire by accident are few.

Before he left, President Museveni held a news conference in which he told journalists that it was a great pity the tomb had been burned. He said Buganda had lost so much in the fire and it would be difficult to replace the invaluable royal regalia that was destroyed.

The President was questioned about the shooting of people by military police outside the tombs before his visit. He said he didn’t have sufficient information to speak on the matter and would make inquiries into it.

The police and their counterparts in the military are still maintaining a presence at the Kasubi Tombs. The situation has calmed down a bit and people are being allowed entry into the site.