• Traders counting losses after a fire razed down their stalls on Thursday night.
• Homa Bay government has no fire-fighting engine.
Traders at Nyakuru market at Genga in Rangwe constituency are counting losses after a fire razed their stalls on Thursday night.
The fire also burned down storehouses, destroying property of unconfirmed value.
The fire is said to have started at one of the shops before spreading to adjacent stalls.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the fire was caused by an electric fault.
Genga assistant chief Chrispine Onyango said officials from Kenya Power who visited the place linked the fire to an electric fault.
Mattresses, kitchenware, clothes and books were destroyed in the fire. Traders also lost their household items because some live in the same premises.
“Most properties were completely destroyed by the fire. Fortunately, no one was injured,” Onyango said.
He appealed to well-wishers to assist the traders to restart their businesses.
The incident has once again exposed the county government’s inability to combat fire incidents for lack of a fire engine.
Mark Ouma, a trader, said they did not get any assistance from the Homa Bay county government.
“We don’t have the ability to extinguish fires. Most traders haven’t insured their businesses and we’re exposed to risks,” Ouma said.
The traders urged the Homa Bay government to intervene by procuring fire engines.
“It’s the county government's role to secure our businesses,” he added.
Two fire engines that were donated to the county government of Homa Bay are still detained in Mombasa.
The engines are detained because two shipping containers allegedly disappeared after transporting some equipment to Homa Bay.
The logistics company wants the containers paid for before it releases the fire engines and an ambulance. The case is currently in court.