Property of unknown value destroyed in Kibra fire

Property of unknown value destroyed in Kibra fire

At least 50 structures were razed down in a huge fire at Laini Saba in the Kibra slums in Nairobi on Sunday afternoon.

According to eyewitnesses, the inferno that is suspected to have been caused by an electrical fault started at around noon and spread quickly.

One of the traders whose wholesale shop was burnt to the ground lamented that he was not able to salvage anything from the shop.

“The fire seems to have been started by an electric heater due to the blast that was heard,” he said.

The residents also noted that the fire may have spread fast because the houses are constructed too close to each other.

Meanwhile, traders at a Market in Makongeni area, Thika are also counting losses after a Sunday morning fire razed down the market.

The cause of the fire is not clear; however, business owners at the facility said that there had been some suspicious activity at the market over the weekend.

According to the vendors, groups of youths were allegedly transported to the market in five Lorries late Friday night.

The traders further claimed that the youths doused the stalls with petrol before setting them on fire under the watch of police officers who were allegedly offering them security.

“Administration Police officers in their uniforms and protective gear supervised and provided security for the youth as they poured petrol on our stores and commodities before setting them on fire,” claimed a vendor at the market.

The early morning incident has agitated the traders who barricaded Thika-Garissa Highway in protest.

The vendors believed the market was set on fire by the County Government of Kiambu, stating that the county administration had on Friday brought down stalls that had been constructed by the roadside along the Thika Super Highway.

“Where do they want us to go? How will we fend for our families?” Posed one vendor.

 

Tags:

Nairobi Thika Makongeni area inferno Kibra fire Laini Saba

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