Properties of unknown value were destroyed on Tuesday night after a mysterious fire broke out at Kericho Town's main bus terminus.
According to witnesses, the fire started at around 8 p.m. in one of the buildings housing several businesses before spreading rapidly, burning several shops that sold clothes and other household items.
Shortly after the incident began, firefighters from the Kericho County Government arrived at the scene but left without making significant progress after running out of water.
Attempts by locals to extinguish the inferno, which had engulfed most businesses, proved futile despite the assistance of another group of firefighters from James Finlay Kenya.
After about an hour of battling the inferno, a second group of firefighters from the county government arrived and helped extinguish the flames, which had already destroyed multiple buildings.
Videos and images shared on social media showed the residents staring helplessly as the fire razed several buildings despite the intervention of the county firefighters.
While the cause of the fire is yet to be established, no casualties were reported from the night fire despite the extensive damage it caused.
Commenting on the incident, the residents accused the Kericho County Government of taking too long to respond to the fire. According to them, the destruction could have been minimal if the firefighters arrived on time.
The Kericho town incident adds to the number of fire tragedies witnessed across the country since the year began. In a similar occurrence two days ago, at least ten people were injured and several businesses destroyed after a fire broke out in Kariobangi, Nairobi.
Witnesses who spoke to the press after the incident which took place on Sunday, February 23, revealed that the fire broke out at around 1 pm and took six hours to contain.
According to a police report, the fire destroyed two bakeries, two timber yards, a garage, residential houses, a gas cylinder shop and a school located near the business premises.
While those injured were rushed to the hospital, the fire left a trail of destruction and displacement of people including pupils who were forced to halt their learning due to safety concerns.
