Traders in Makutano town in West Pokot County are counting losses after a fire razed down their shops on Sunday morning.
The trader’s cried foul as they were unable to salvage anything as they watched the inferno consuming all their products with no fire engine vehicle from the county government reaching the site to put off the fire.
Residents suspect that the fire might have been caused by an electrical fault.
Welding workshops, charcoal stores, wines, spirits shops, clothes stalls and hotels were among the structures that were razed by the fire.
Jane Nafula, a trader who spoke to K24 Digital, said the fire broke out at a welding shop resulting in all the shops catching fire.
“Am running a hotel of which I had invested more than Ksh200,000 after taking a loan. We blame the county government for failing to dispatch the fire extinguisher vehicle to put off the fire,” she said.
A business lady running a charcoal store said she lost 200 bags of charcoal, and she has nothing to pay
“No one was injured. I have lost more than Ksh300,000. More than ten charcoal stores have been burnt,” she said.
The angry traders questioned where the county extinguisher vehicle was, and despite calling the county government officials the equipment was not dispatched.
“They are telling us the vehicle has a puncture and doesn’t have water. They have failed us,” John Lomeri, one of the traders, said.
He said property worth millions have been lost, and they want the county government to compensate them.
It took more than three hours for Trans Nzoia county fire engine vehicle to reach Makutano town to help extinguish the fire.
