Burundi has been plagued with a unique challenge: marketplaces and public galleries are constantly burnt to the ground by disastrous fires. Since 2011, no fewer than 22 markets have caught fire, with some major markets, such as Ngozi, Kinindo, Jabe, and Kamenge, suffering the ordeal twice. In 2026 alone, six such major fires have ravaged markets, burning everything to the ground and causing untold suffering. What could possibly be the cause?
Naturally, since 2011, various theories have been proposed to explain the real cause. Officially, for the past 15 years, Burundians have only been told that “investigations are ongoing.” No closure has ever been given to the victims. Yet most of these fires share similar patterns: they usually happen on Sundays, there are typically no casualties as all fires occur while the market is closed for business, and the emergency response is always dismal.
In 2011, when the main market in the capital city caught fire, the emergency response was so inadequate that Rwanda, a neighbouring country, had to dispatch its firefighting helicopter. Burundi had barely deployed three firefighting trucks, leaving ordinary citizens to use buckets in a desperate attempt to quell the fire. While a standard helicopter fire bucket, known as a Bambi Bucket, costs barely $45,000, 15 years later, Burundi still has no such equipment.
There are therefore genuine concerns about the possibility of deliberate negligence or even state foul play. Yes, the obvious lack of basic fire safety standards in markets and archaic electrical installations do contribute to the fire phenomenon. However, the lack of political will is also evident. The fire brigade is severely underfunded and often finds itself without fuel to intervene. For instance, in case of fire in Burundi, there is no emergency line to call; one has to call a firefighter or someone with the contact.
The deepening suspicion is that these fires hide a sinister financial motive, possibly sadistic trickery to change ownership and leasing agreements. In fact, the main market suddenly saw a bizarre company (Buja City Plaza), whose owner is linked to the First Lady, awarded the right to reconstruct it and exploit it for 30 years.
In other words, a public good, the market, is burnt to the ground, and then a well-connected private company is awarded a bid to reconstruct it. Coincidentally, the Burundian regime is also set to force small businesses operating in public markets to take up fire insurance policies, and surprisingly, the First Family recently acquired two failing insurance companies.
In reality, the scourge of never-ending fires is nothing more than the scourge of never-ending corruption and greed.
ellenkampire