Close to 400 workers have been left jobless after Jumbo Foam Mattresses factory went up in flames in the outskirts of Kisumu city.
The factory managing director Jaesh Patel said the fire has consumed property worth more than Sh 400 million.
Patel said the fire started at around 3am when he was alerted and rushed to the scene.
He said the workers were directly employed and will have to go without any form of earning as a result of the fire.
“We have lost a fortune and now the workers will have nowhere to eke a living. This is very sad indeed,” he said.
Nyando constituency MP Fred Outa in whose constituency the factory is located said the huge impact of the fire will be felt by the high number of the workers.
Outa faulted the preparedness of the county to handle such disasters after failure to contain the raging fire.
“Our county government must do a lot to buy firefighting equipment,” he said.
He said the county has only one faulty fire engine that could not cope up with the huge fire that engulfed the factory.
Outa called upon Governor Jack Ranguma to ensure the county is well equipped with firefighting equipment to address such calamities.
Earlier, Kisumu City Manager Doris Ombara called for more investment in the fire department noting that in the current financial year no amount of money was allocated.
Ombara said the fire department for the city has been responsible to attend to fire tragedies across the county.
Kisumu County police commander Nelson Njiiri said the cause of the fire is not yet known and investigations are on course to ascertain the cause.