Laikipia: Property destroyed as fire breaks out in Manguu, Nyahururu town

Reports indicate that the fire started from one of the wooden houses before spreading to neighboring homes Monday evening.

Reports indicate that the fire may have been caused by a candle in one of the houses before it spread uncontrollably.

Efforts to extinguish the fire proved fruitless as the Nyahururu fire engine was reported to be out of water,with irate residents chasing away the firefighters.

Residents joined hands and made significant efforts to save household items, but the fire grew fierce as they watched helplessly while the houses burned to ashes.

Susan Wangui, one of the victims, recounted how she heard cries of despair. Joseph Ndung’u, another victim, narrated how he found their house engulfed in flames and watched without help since he could not reach his home in time to save his belongings.

Harun Kimathi, who works in Nyahururu, was heading home when he saw a large fire from a distance, but upon getting closer, he discovered that their rental house was on fire.

The residents said they were unable to save their property, with some also being robbed by individuals taking advantage of the distressing situation.

Laikipia Senator John Kinyua, who visited the scene shortly after the fire broke out, expressed his dismay at the destruction, blaming the slow response of the fire department.

He lamented that the unpreparedness of the Nyahururu firefighters was shameful, as the engine lacked water to combat the blaze.

He expressed his disappointment, noting that there was a river just a few meters away from the scene, but the firefighters lacked equipment to draw water from it.

Residents are now urging the Laikipia County Government to seek another fire truck and deploy it to the area for a quick and effective response in case of similar incidents.