Traders and business owners in Kerugoya town, Kirinyaga County, are counting losses after a fire broke out on the night of June 19, destroying property worth millions of shillings.
A video seen by Kenyans.co.ke showed huge flames sweeping through the iron sheets, completely engulfing several shops in Kirinyaga County.
Residents blamed the county government for taking time to respond to the fire incident, making it spread faster, and causing more damage.
According to reports, the businesses destroyed include clothes shops, food stores, shoe stalls, and outlets selling industrial products.
One of the residents narrated that when they called the county government to request a fire truck, they were informed that all the vehicles were out of service.
"We requested a firefighter and we were informed that they were not available because the fire truck had broken down and the repair cost was over Ksh 200,000. What we are asking is for the county government to fix the vehicles."
"This is the third time we have had a fire incident here, and every time we get help from Embu and Nyeri," one resident said.
They also accused the county government of spending millions to build a parking area for fire trucks instead of repairing the fire engines themselves.
By morning, the fire had been extinguished, though smoke was still visible in some areas. No casualties were reported.
This is not the first time a fire incident has been reported in the area. On February 14, eight families in Kimunye, in Gichugu, also counted losses after a fire broke out in their homes.
Police from the Kimunye Police Post reported that the fire was caused by a leaking gas cylinder.
“Our neighbour went to the shop and left a gas cylinder that was leaking, which triggered the fire. Thankfully, no one was injured,” one of the residents narrated.
