- No injuries were reported as the students were attending classes when the fire broke out
- Residents have appealed to the national and county governments to urgently intervene and assist the affected students, many of whom lost all their possessions
More than 500 students from Emurua Dikirr Technical Institute have been left counting heavy losses after a devastating fire razed hostels at Mogondo Trading Centre, destroying personal belongings and leaving many with nothing just days before their examinations.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported as the students were attending classes when the fire broke out. However, the blaze reduced mattresses, food supplies, clothing, books and other personal items to ashes.
Residents and students made frantic efforts to contain the fire, but their attempts were unsuccessful due to the lack of firefighting equipment in the area. The inferno also spread to and destroyed several other houses within the trading centre.
The cause of the fire had not been established by the time of publication, with authorities expected to launch investigations.
Residents have appealed to the national and county governments to urgently intervene and assist the affected students, many of whom lost all their possessions.
“We are appealing to the government to move with speed and support these students. They have lost everything they owned, yet they are expected to sit for their examinations next week,” said resident Edna Sinei.
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Another resident, Carolyne Langat, called for the establishment of a permanent firefighting unit in the area, saying the destruction could have been minimised had emergency services been available.
“If there had been a fire engine stationed nearby, this fire could have been contained before it spread to the hostels and neighbouring houses. We need the government to provide a fire engine for this area,” Langat said.
The county government also came under sharp criticism over what residents described as a delayed emergency response. Locals claimed that the county fire engine arrived several hours after the fire had broken out, by which time the hostels and other buildings had already been reduced to rubble.
“We watched helplessly as the fire consumed property because there was no immediate response. The fire engine arrived when the damage had already been done,” one resident said.
The affected students now face an uncertain future as they prepare to sit for their examinations next week, with many lacking necessities after the devastating blaze.
Authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the incident or announce measures to support the affected students.
By Kimutai Langat
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