Fire breaks out at Safaricom building in Kitale

Property worth millions of shillings was on Sunday destroyed in a fire at Old Safaricom building in Kitale town, Trans Nzoia County.

The fire suspected to have been caused by an electric fault broke out in the building that hosts several offices and shops.

Police, the county fire brigade and Khetia Supermarket owners arrived and struggled to contain the fire before it could spread.

Those affected said they have lost everything and will have to start afresh.

The second floor of the building was completely destroyed.

“It is a terrible thing for us. We have lost everything," said a businessman who operates a cyber at the building.

County police commander Ayub Gitonga said investigations into the incident have started but preliminary investigations point to an electric fault.

In May last year, KPLC Communication Director, Kevin Sang refutes claims that most of the fire incidents are due to electric faults.

“We have cartels who connect electricity and sell to consumers but rarely do electric shocks cause fires. When you look at the cables carefully, you realise they cannot cause such faults,” says Sang.

He adds that Kenya Power is working with the slum community and police to rid the areas of such cartels.

More Kenyans are prone to electrical accidents due to localised faults. According to a 2017 report by the Kenya Power, six fatal accidents are reported every month.

More than 32 per cent of these electrical accidents occur in homes due to poor wiring and illegal connections.

Kenya Power Manager in charge Safety, Health and Environment at thhe time John Guda said Kenya has a long way to go in addressing electrical accidents, especially from illegal connections.

“Looking at our statistics, we are still far below the acceptable standards in public safety compared to countries in the developed world, but we can prevent these electrical accidents from happening. This will require a shared approach to ensure that Kenyans use electricity safely,” he said.

Speaking during an interview, Guda said illegal connections and extensions, vandalism and poor wiring are rampant in many parts of the country, especially in the informal settlements which causes electrocution.

“Majority of dwellers in places like Kibra, Kayole, Mathare, Mukuru among other informal settlements are prone to electrical accidents due to illegal connections which expose users and other residents to fatal injuries,” he explained.