Our Reporter | Kampala — Three workers were injured after a suspected cooking gas explosion at Keren Bar and Restaurant in Makindye Division, Kampala, on Sunday afternoon.
The incident occurred at about 1:00pm on August 9, 2026, according to Kampala Metropolitan Police.
The injured workers, identified only as Briana, Jewet and Livl Berhe, were rushed to nearby health facilities for medical treatment.
Kampala Metropolitan Police Deputy Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire said preliminary investigations indicate that accumulated cooking gas inside the restaurant was ignited by an open flame, triggering the explosion.
Speaking during the police weekly briefing at Police Headquarters in Naguru on Monday, Owoyesigyire said officers from the Police Bomb Squad and Fire Prevention and Rescue Services examined the scene after the incident.
“What we determined is that the gas had been opened for a long time, and I think someone ignited a match. So, the gas that was still in the air ignited and struck three people,” Owoyesigyire said.
Police suspect that a valve or gas cylinder may have been left open, allowing LPG to accumulate inside the room before it was ignited.
The cooking area was reportedly located inside the same room, which police said had limited ventilation.
Although the gas cylinder was found intact, the explosion caused damage to the premises.
Police said broken cups and plates, plastic trays, damaged window glass, part of an outside wall and shelves were found scattered around the room.
Owoyesigyire said the three workers sustained severe injuries and that police were monitoring their condition as investigations continued.
A team of detectives, Scene of Crime Officers, uniformed personnel and an officer from the Police Bomb Squad participated in the examination of the scene.
Police have urged restaurant operators and members of the public to exercise caution when handling Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), particularly in enclosed spaces.
Owoyesigyire advised LPG users to regularly inspect cylinders, regulators and hoses, ensure proper ventilation and avoid keeping gas cylinders in unsafe or poorly ventilated areas.
He also urged users to have cylinders inspected and re-tested as required and to avoid using damaged or defective gas equipment.
The Makindye incident adds to a series of gas-related accidents recorded in Uganda in recent years, some of which have resulted in deaths, serious injuries and extensive property damage.
In August 2025, six people, including five Kyambogo University students and a hostel security guard, reportedly sustained critical injuries after a cooking gas cylinder exploded at a student hostel in Banda, Kampala.
The incident was attributed to accumulated leaked gas that was reportedly ignited after a flame was lit inside the room.
In November 2021, two people were killed following a gas cylinder explosion near Sunjor Supermarket in Seeta, Mukono District. The incident was reportedly linked to leaking gas that ignited in a confined space.
Later that month, two workers were killed and five others seriously injured when a gas cylinder exploded at a scrap metal site in Kakoba Division, Mbarara City.
The workers were reportedly attempting to cut open a discarded gas cylinder using cutting and welding equipment when the explosion occurred.
In February 2020, a fire involving several gas cylinders caused extensive damage to property in Kisasi, Kampala. The fire was reportedly triggered by a leaking cylinder before spreading to other cylinders stored at the premises.
Police continue to caution the public that LPG is highly flammable and that leaks in poorly ventilated areas can create dangerous concentrations of gas that may ignite when exposed to flames or sparks.
