Six fire crew narrowly escaped death after a fire engine belonging to Machako's County was stoned by rowdy youth at Jua Kali slum in Kitengela.
The fire fighters from Mavoko Sub County had responded to an emergency call from the slum residents after their houses had caught fire.
Confirming the incident to the press in his Athi River office, Deputy Regional Fire Brigade Supervisor, Dennis Masila said a group of youth started throwing stones at the engine, before a crowd joined them barricading an access road leading to the houses in flames.
Masila said the agitated crowd, claimed that the engine was operating beyond its boundaries.
“The rowdy youth said their county government (Kajiado) could not purchase its own fire engine since Mavoko Sub County engine serves them unconditionally,” said Masila.
He said it took intervention of Kitengela Police Officers’ for the engine to be allowed to access the burning houses and put off the fire.
The officer said two houses were partly burnt down as eight others were demolished by the residents salvaging their property for fear that the fire could spread.
Masila condemned the incident arguing that the role of the fire crew was to use the engine to respond for emergencies and save lives and property of all Kenyans without looking into boundaries of jurisdiction.
He called on the national government to make arrangements of providing the fire brigade department with security whenever they were responding to emergencies.
The fire was caused by electric fault.