Governor Mbugua defends Nakuru disaster team over slow response claims

Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua has defended the county’s disaster management department against claims that it was ineffective during fire outbreaks.

Mr Mbugua further dismissed claims that the county’s two fire engines were grounded and hence could not be used to fight fires.

The Nakuru governor said one of the engines that did not have enough water during a weekend fire incident was just an isolated case.

The other engine, he said, had a defect and was being repaired.

The complaints came following two fires in the town last weekend that destroyed property worth millions of shillings.

Nakuru West MP Samuel Arama was the first to blame the department, which he accused of being sluggish in responding to emergencies.

“The county has invested a lot of money in fire engines. It is unfortunate that the engines are not equipped to help save lives and property. The officers are also very slow in their response,” said the MP, who spoke at the scene of a fire last Saturday.

In the first incident, property in a hardware shop was reduced to ashes, with residents claiming that the disaster management team responded hours after the fire had consumed the store.

Eyewitnesses claimed firefighters did not respond on time and arrived two hours after they were informed about the incident and that the fire engine did not have enough water.

In another incident last Sunday morning, machines and equipment at the Nakuru Poly Plast company were destroyed in an early morning inferno.

During the two incidents, fire engines from private firms had to be called in to assist in fighting the blazes.