A section of the residents of Kwambemba Slum in Mlolongo town, Machakos County have blamed the Mavoko fire brigade for their complete loss of their property.
Charles Mutisya, the chairman of the victims of the fire that gutted down the entire slum on Monday said the firemen delayed in responding to the incident even after being informed in good time.
Mutisya said the fire fighters took close to two hours to get arrive at the scene making the fire consume more than 40 mabati structures leaving more than 200 people homeless.
“All the families have lost completely everything; food, clothing, money, vital identification and academic documents, and essential households. We blame the loss to the Mavoko Fire Brigade department, they took more than one and a half hours to get to the scene in spite of being called in time,” said Mutisya.
Mutisya said the fire fighters claimed their engine had no water when they were called and had to refill it before responding to the incident.
Jane Auma, a single mother and resident of the same estate said she lost all her property to fire in a saloon which she had been the only source of her livelihood.
She called on well wishers and the Machakos government to come to their rescue by providing them with food, clothing, shelter, medicine among other things.
The residents addressed the press at the slum on Thursday noon.
The incident has since left majority of the victims homeless and desperate for help since nothing was salvaged from the fire.
Some of the victims have sought refuge at their friends and relatives houses around the slum while some women and children have been temporarily accommodated at the Kenya Christian Brotherhood Church in Mlolongo town awaiting humanitarian support.