Kerugoya traders count losses after night fire razes businesses
By Friday morning, the fire had been extinguished with the help of emergency teams from neighbouring counties
Traders and business owners in Kerugoya town, Kirinyaga County, are counting losses after a fire broke out on Thursday night, destroying property worth millions of shillings.
The blaze, which engulfed three business premises constructed from iron sheets, consumed several shops including food stores, clothes stalls, industrial goods outlets, and small kiosks.
Residents expressed frustration over the county government’s delayed response, claiming that all the firefighting vehicles in the county were non-functional at the time of the incident.
By Friday morning, the fire had been extinguished with the help of emergency teams from neighbouring counties, although smoke was still visible in some areas. Fortunately, no injuries or casualties were reported.
Local traders who spoke to the media decried the lack of preparedness by the county government.
“As businesspeople in Kerugoya, we are extremely disappointed that the county lacks a functional firefighting brigade to respond to emergencies like this,” said Jane Wanjiku, a businesswoman whose premises were affected.
“We had to seek assistance from Nyeri and Embu counties, and that is what saved the situation.”
Eric Macharia, another trader, questioned the value of paying taxes to a county government that fails to provide basic emergency services.
“How is it possible that we rely on other counties for such crucial support? We are taxpayers, yet we are left to suffer due to a dysfunctional firefighting department,” he said.
However, the Kirinyaga County Government has defended its response to the incident, saying there is an established collaboration with neighbouring counties for joint emergency interventions.
“Fire brigades do not work in isolation,” said a source close to Governor Anne Waiguru. “We have a mutual agreement with Nyeri and Embu counties to support each other in emergency situations.”
According to the county official, Kirinyaga did dispatch two fire engines to the scene, and additional help was requested from the partner counties to contain the flames more effectively.
“The three counties have a long-standing working relationship and have supported one another on several occasions. In the past, Kirinyaga fire engines have also been deployed to assist in Nyeri and Embu,” the source added.
The incident has reignited calls by Kerugoya residents and traders for the county to invest more in disaster preparedness and ensure all firefighting equipment is fully operational.
