Three fire stations will be built in Kisumu at a cost of Sh220 million.
The fire stations will be at Kibuye, Tich Tire and Kisumu works yard. They are part of Sh774 million Kisumu received from World Bank for the construction of the stations and youth innovative centre under the Kenya Urban Support Programme.
The youth centre will cost Sh300 million.
“The designs are ready and tenders already awarded,” according to City Manager Doris Ombara. The construction will begin in a month’s time.
Ombara said, “We have had several cases of fire incidents in the county especially Kibuye market.”
Kibuye station will be equipped with a fire engine. The market is the largest open-air facility in the region.
It will also serve Kondele, Obunga, Nyalenda and Manyatta estates. Tich Tire will replace Kisumu fire station. It is located at Ang’awa Street and is the town's only fire station.
“It was built when the population was 50,000 and now there are one million people in Kisumu who need better-equipped fire station and firefighters to respond faster to an emergency,” Ombara said.
She and Governor Anyang Nyong’o were on Friday receiving a fire engine donated to the county by UK-based Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Services Company.
The UK team comprising fire engineers and paramedics will train the county's firefighters as the county prepares to host the Africities forum in 2021. The 10-day training also covers water rescue.
“We are continuing with capacity building of our firefighters. Fire is the second most serious common disaster after floods according to disaster risk mapping report,” Ombara said.
“The objective is to have each of the seven sub-counties equipped with a fire engine. This is just part of the efforts in place to revitalise the fire department,” she said.
Most Kisumu residents live in slums and in case of fire, they suffer huge socio-economic losses.
Kisumu also plans to build a fire training centre for the region. “We have been told by the UK team to look for a five-acre plot for the project. They will mobilise fund, design and build it,” Ombara said.
Kisumu has 13 firefighters instead of 32.
Nyong’o said, “We are putting efforts to strengthen the department, as well as establishing a regional ambulance system for Lake Region counties.”
