Angry residents beat MCA as fire razes houses

Over 50 families have been left homeless after a fire razed several houses in Kiawara informal settlement in Nyeri County on Saturday Afternoon.

Property worth thousands of shillings was reduced to ashes in the 2PM incident with business premises among the structures burnt down.

Despite efforts by the Nyeri fire department, the fire spread quickly to the closely built timber structures, intensified by a windy weather making rescue efforts difficult.

Hundreds of residents were forced to watch helplessly as the enormous fire moved from house to house with little options to salvage property.

Two people sustained minor injuries and were rushed to Hospital at the town Centre.

The cause of the fire was not immediately established but residents suspect that a stove left unattended to or an electrical fault might have been the cause.

NO WATER

Residents however decried the slow response of the fire department.

The truck that responded to the distress call could not make it to the scene due to impassable roads in the informal settlement.

And after getting to the scene. The engine ran out of water after 30 minutes as the fire continued to intensify, much to the anger of the onlookers.

At one point, angry youth threatened to destroy the fire engine in furry as they accused the county government of laxity towards disaster preparedness.

“Every time a fire disaster occurs here, all rescue efforts fail because the fire engine is only one,” said a resident.

The Nyeri County government came under heat as residents accused it of neglecting disaster preparedness measures at the expense of other issues.

The area MCA, Mr Simon Mbogo who was part of the onlookers was roughed up with several youth descending on him with blows accusing him of neglecting them over disaster preparedness issues.

This is the second fire incident in the same area. In April last year, a fire razed down several houses leaving over 20 families homeless.