BY DICKENS WASONGA
Eight Kisumu county top officials including lands executive Judith Atyang have recorded statements with the DCI detectives probing a fire incident at the county headquarters last month.
The fire at Prosperity House damaged files at the county lands office.
Kisumu county DCI boss Francis Wanjau said detectives also took away phones belonging to the officers as part of the probe.
Lands chief officer Moses Orege also recorded statements with the detectives alongside six other top officials in the lands and physical planning department.
Wanjau however said no suspect has been arrested in connection with the fire incident.
He said a file containing office correspondence was burnt down.
“It affected mainly the county minister's office and that of the secretary," Wanjau said.
Wanjau said on Monday that documents belonging to landowners could be traced because only the duplicates were in the custody of the lands department.
"We have established that the landowners had been asked to avail three copies of the land documents. They however allowed retaining the original copies. So the theory that someone could have plotted to destroy the documents to grab any land is ruled out," Wanjau said.
He said forensic experts were examining phones to see if there is any clue about how the arson was planned.
"We want to see if we can retrieve the messages from all the phones for further clues," he said.
Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o last month said initial investigations pointed to arson.
"I condemn this incident and the culprits must be brought to book," Nyong'o said on September 7. That was two days after the fire incident.
The governor met Nyanza regional commissioner Magu Mutindika and Kisumu county commissioner Josephine Ouko before visiting the scene.
The three leaders discussed ways of strengthening security at Prosperity House. The fire was reported on the ninth floor of the building that houses the county headquarters.
The Governor Press Unit director Aloice Ager said preliminary indicated a high possibility of arson.
Ager said a statement will be issued once investigations are completed.
"In the meantime, the county government requests the public to remain calm while the team carries out its work thoroughly and professionally to get to the bottom of this incident," he said.
The building also houses Huduma Centre on the ground floor, county government offices and the county commissioner's office.
The fire destroyed office documents, stationery and computer accessories. There were no casualties.
Edited by P.O
