Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has been criticized by residents after a fire in Kisumu Ndogo slum in Athi River burned down four houses and left 2 dead.
Efforts by area residents to get the county fire services to respond to the Sunday morning inferno were futile as they were informed no engine was available.
“We called for fire brigade services but we were told there was no functional engine. For how long will we live like this?
"We wonder why the Mavoko sub-county fire engine cannot be fixed to help with emergencies," stated Josephine Wambua, a resident.
The deceased, Vincent Baraza and Gerald Oluoch both worked at Kifaru Unga Limited's Athi River factory.
[caption caption="Gov Mutua handing over a fire engine to the EPZ in Mavoko Sub-county in 2016"]
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They shared a room in Kisumu Ndogo which is mainly populated by workers in nearby factories.
The mabati (iron-sheet) house they were sleeping in caught fire at around 1:30 am.
The fire went on to burn three more houses.
Residents demolished some houses to stop the fire from spreading to more buildings.
Police later took the bodies of the two to City Mortuary.
[caption caption="Josephine Wambua at the scene of the fire in Athi River"]
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