A fierce fire swept through more than ten businesses at Limuru Town’s bus park in Kiambu County early Thursday morning, leaving traders in a state of distress as they deal with considerable losses. The fire reportedly ignited in a hotel around 5 a.m. while staff were preparing to start their day.
Containing the blaze was an uphill battle, exacerbated by strong winds and the close proximity of the businesses. Unfortunately, fire services arrived later than hoped. Officials are now investigating what sparked the fire, while the business owners begin to assess the damage.
Francis Ndung’u, one of the affected traders, described the dire situation, saying, “All our machines are burned, the meat’s gone, everything is back to square one. Fires have become too frequent these days, almost every day somewhere is burning, leaving people devastated. I urge the government to set aside emergency funds so that when such disasters happen, there’s some support to help us rebuild our businesses and get back to work.”
Another trader, Dorcas Wanjiru, shared her experience: “I left at 4 a.m. and found the place filled with smoke. I called the fire brigade. On our side, the butchery and hotel were destroyed.”
Local authorities are being called upon to consider creating emergency funds to help traders recover and rebuild their livelihoods after such catastrophic events.
As the community rallies to support those impacted, everyone awaits further details on the investigation and potential support measures.
