NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 21 – Property of unknown value was reduced to ashes, and tens of families were left homeless on Monday night after a fierce fire ravaged rental houses at the sprawling Manguo slums on the outskirts of Nyahururu town in Laikipia County.
The fire, which was reported around 7:30 p.m., began in one of the timber houses before spreading to nearby structures.
Efforts to contain the fire by Nyahururu fire personnel were unsuccessful, as it was reported that the fire engine had no water, prompting residents to chase them away.
Victims and residents joined forces in frantic attempts to salvage household items.
However, the fire quickly grew more intense, and the residents were left helpless as their homes were consumed by the flames.
Susan Wangui, one of the victims, narrated how she heard distress calls.
When she came outside to check what was happening, she saw a massive fire near her house.
Joseph Ndung’u, another victim, recounted how he found his house on fire and watched helplessly as he could not reach it in time to save his belongings.
Harun Kimathi, who works in Nyahururu town, was heading home when he saw a large ball of fire from a distance.
As he got closer, he discovered that his rented house was burning.
The victims said they were unable to salvage their belongings, and some of them reported that individuals took advantage of the situation to steal their possessions.
Laikipia Senator John Kinyua, who visited the scene shortly after the fire broke out, expressed his distress over the destruction.
He criticized the unpreparedness and slow response of the fire department.
Kinyua also expressed disappointment that there was a nearby river just meters from the scene, but the firefighters lacked the equipment to draw water from it, which could have saved valuable time.
Residents are now demanding that the Laikipia County Government procure and deploy an additional fire engine in the area to ensure a quicker and more efficient response to such incidents in the future.
