Voi Central Business District razed in fierce fire outbreak

Taita Taveta County Governor Granton Samboja; Voi town is the headquarter of the county.

VOI, KENYA: Property worth millions of shillings was on Monday morning destroyed after business premises in Voi Central Business District in Taita-Taveta County caught fire.

Voi town situated along the busy Nairobi-Mombasa highway is the commercial hub of the county.

Police said the cause of the fire is still unknown. The county is said to have inadequate firefighting equipment.

Voi OCPD Joseph Chesire confirmed and said a total of 10 shops were razed down during the fire which caused panic among the business community.

“The property owners did not salvage anything because all their properties were reduced to ashes by the time they arrived at their shops in the morning. Among those affected are boutique and saloon shop operators,” said Mr Chesire.

The police officer said there was huge blackout throughout the night before the shops caught fire in the morning “It appears that most operators did not switch off electricity when they closed down their business on Tuesday evening. We have however launched investigations into the cause of the fire,” he said.

Voi Deputy County Commissioner Joseph Ntile and Deputy Governor Majala Mlagui visited the area to assess the damage caused by the fire.

Ms Mlagui accused the Kenya Power and Lightening Company for failing to curb illegal electricity connections in the town and its environs.