Fire at Kerugoya Prison destroys at least 21 houses

A fire at that the Kerugoya Prison in Kirinyaga County destroyed at least 21 houses that prison wardens call home.

The Tuesday morning inferno left the wardens department counting losses after their property was reduced into ashes.

It was reported that it broke out in one of the houses before spreading to other wooden and iron structures in the facility, but it was put out before spreading further.

Fire fighters rushed to the protected area, not with a fire engine but a water bowser, after the fire fighter vehicle engines broke down, but were able to contain the fire before it could spread to other houses.

The incident as confirmed by the Kirinyaga County Police commander Mohamed Jire who said that preliminary investigations had shown that the fire might have been caused by a candle.

The incident comes despite Kirinyaga County assembly setting aside Sh50 million to acquire a new fire engine.

According to the Kerugoya ward representative Eric Muchina, the county executive has been reluctant to purchase a fire engine and instead relies on a water bowser whose capacity and force as for a fire engine.

He wondered why residents who pay taxes must suffer at the expense of a merciless leadership saying this is not the first incident that would have necessitated a new one.

Since January there have been at least three fires reported in different places in Mwea, where fire engines from other counties like Embu, Nyeri, Murang'a have assisted in putting out the fire.

Kirinyaga Senator Kamau Murango called for accountability over the incident, saying that the fire engines have been grounded for two years, with no action being taken despite the County Assembly allocating funds.

Murango questioned the county government's emergency response capacity arguing that the reported state of fire engines raised concerns about the ability of the county to protect lives and property during emergencies.

The senator has called upon the county government to take responsibility for the losses suffered.

"The county government needs to take responsibility, there is no way that fire engines have been grounded for two years, monies allocated and no purchase has been done, we need accountability,” Murango said.