Some witnesses say it started from explosion of a transformer
More than 100 families spent Sunday night in the cold after their houses were razed by a fire at Ngusishi in Buuri subcounty, Meru.
Nothing was salvaged from the timber houses.
The fire consumed property, crucial documents, food and household items while the owners were away working in nearby farms.
The cause of the fire was not immediately established. Some witnesses said it started from the explosion of a transformer but others said it was caused by a burning stove in one of the houses.
Benson Murithi, one of the victims, said it was sad to spend years of hard work and then lose everything within minutes.
He appealed to well-wishers and the government to help them start their lives anew.
"The fire destroyed everything. I don’t think it is the right time to talk to you,’’ Murithi said as he collected burnt timber remains of his house.
Jane Muthoni said life will be hard for the victims as they are paid peanuts in the farms where they work.
"I don’t know what our children will wear to school,’’ she said.
Ngusishi senior chief Jacob Marete told journalists four rental houses were reduced to ashes but there were no injuries.
He advised landlords to build stone houses to avoid fires.