A fire broke out at the Kisumu Huduma Centre on Sunday, September 5.
In a video seen by Kenyans.co.ke, heavy smoke billowed out of the offices located along Milimani area. Kisumu County Central Deputy County Commissioner John Cheruiyot confirmed the incident, noting that the fire broke out at around 4.30 pm.
He pointed out that authorities immediately alerted the fire brigade who were quick to respond to the situation.
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In a bid to salvage the remaining documents, witnesses alongside the fire department tried to extinguish the fire.
“City fire brigade officers drove in speed and to the spot and succeeded in bringing the fire under control in record minutes,” Cheruiyot stated.
Despite the quick response, the majority of the official documents, office stationery, and computer accessories were completely destroyed. There were no casualties reported at the time of publishing the article.
The fire outbreak had led to a traffic build-up leading up to the Acacia Premier Hotel opposite the building.
The regional police commander John Karanja was, however, at the scene to man the traffic during the incident.
Huduma centres were introduced by the government in a bid to offer prompt and efficient service delivery to the public.
This led to offices been established across all counties in order to allow citizens to access essential services.
Among these services include the issuance of birth certificates, replacement of exam certificates, issuance of an Identification Card, replacement of NHIF card and uploading and submissions of tax return forms.
A similar incident occurred earlier in the year at Kisumu bus park station where various properties and buses worth millions were razed down.
The morning fire begun at one of the shops located at the bus station and quickly spread to other shops. The fire was contained after county firefighters intervened. No casualties were reported after the incident.
