• Blaze started by fallen power lines; firefighters arrived too late
• County lacks fire engine but traders pay for a fire licence
Image: Ernest Cornel
Mtwapa traders in Kilifi county are contemplating suing Kenya Power after a fire started by fallen power lines razed their businesses.
The Tuesday fire destroyed three nightclubs, eateries, houses and shops along the Mombasa-Malindi highway.
Witnesses said the lines fell after an electricity pole was hit by a reversing truck.
The county's firefighters arrived too late.
Residents watched helplessly as flames consumed to ashes property worth millions of shillings. The area's economy is supported by clubs.
The fire started at a residential house, then spread to nearby shops and businesses.
Patrons of clubs Naiz, Bridges and Bestrol barely made it out with their lives.
Bestrol Club manager Philip Ndekei said 10 television sets, six refrigerators, a public address system, furniture and other valuables were destroyed completely. He said the property destroyed was worth approximately Sh15 million.
Club Bridges' Linus Musama said they incurred losses of up to Sh10 million. "We had just renovated this club the other day, all that is lost," he said.
A supervisor at Club Naiz, Boniface Onyango, said, "Club owners pay a lot of money for permits, including about Sh5,000 for a fire licence, to the county, but the fire brigade failed to show up."
"For many years, Mtwapa has had no fire engine and our governor is saying nothing about it."
He said Club Naiz may have incurred more than Sh8 million losses.
Traders said the fire was the biggest ever in the area. Many shops were looted in the confusion.
The clubs' staff urged the county to help the owners get back on their feet.
Daniel Munge, whose workshop was destroyed, said he lost property worth Sh3 million.
"I couldn't save anything. We called the police and everybody but we got no help," he said.
The fire started at 1am and was put out by firefighters using Mombasa's fire engines at 4am.
A curio shop owner fought back tears as he inspected his damaged goods worth Sh1 million.
Kilifi South police commander Esau Ochorokodi said no one was injured. He said a team had been dispatched to investigate.
The tragedy came barely a year after the Kenya National Highways Authority demolished business premises, including some of those gutted on Tuesday, for encroaching on a road reserve.