Tens rendered homeless as seven houses razed in Machakos

Several residents of Syokimau in Athi River, Machakos County, spent their night in the cold after a fire razed their houses.

The victims, families of seven maisonettes located within Katani Villas Phase One on Katani Road in Syokimau, Mlolongo Division, lost property of unknown value in the Thursday night inferno.

The incident was reported to Syokimau Police Station as a fire incident at 10:30 pm, shortly after it was contained.

Police said the matter was reported by the estate’s caretaker, Peter Oduor.

Oduor, according to the police, said there was a fire incident within the gated community.

“A multi-agency team comprising police officers, members of the National Community Policing, and fire brigades from Machakos and Nairobi counties responded immediately and managed to put out the fire,” a police report seen by The Star read in part.

Police established that the fire started at House A10, belonging to one of the residents, before spreading to Houses A11, A12, A13, A6, A7, A8, and A9, destroying property of unknown value.

“The cause of the fire could not be immediately established since the girl who was in the house could not be traced. More progress report to follow,” the report read.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations attached to Mlolongo Police Station have since launched investigations into the incident.

The case is pending under investigation.