Property worth millions of shillings was on Wednesday night destroyed after fire razed a bakery at London estate in Narok town.
The Bakery owner, Amos Nyakundi said nothing was rescued in his bakery dubbed ‘London Bakers’ in the midnight fire, saying equipment such as ovens, fridges, mekos, and utensils were destroyed.
“I had baked half cakes and mandazi worth Sh. 200, 000 to be distributed in the nearby schools and shopping centres. They were all consumed in the midnight fire,” he reiterated.
Nyakundi who has been operating the business for the last ten years said the cause of the fire is yet to be established as it occurred when all the workers had left for their homes.
“Though I have suffered a mega loss, I am grateful that no one was injured. The workers who live near the bakery all escaped without any burns,” he said.
Pastor Erastus Ndemo of East African Inland Pentecost Church (EAIPC) who witnessed the fire said it took over one hour for the county fire fighters to arrive to put off the fire.
“The fire truck took a long time to arrive because of the poor roads network to this place. We ask our leaders to prioritize renovating these roads that were severely destroyed by the rains,” said Pastor Ndemo.
He asked well-wishers and the county government to chip in and help the businessman restart his business again, saying it was a source of employment to many young people.
“Over 15 people were employed to work in the bakery and at least three vehicles pick the snacks every day to distribute to various centers in the county. All these people are now jobless,” added pastor Ndemo.
Mzee Peter Sankale, an elder in the area said efforts by the residents to put off the fire with water and soil before the fire engine arrived was in vain, as it was too intense.
“We are all sad as this bakery was not only benefiting the owner but all the residents of this area. We eat fresh snacks and our sons and daughters are employed to work there,” said Mzee Sankale.
In the 2019/2020 financial year, the county assembly of Narok allocated Sh. 1.04 Billion for Disaster management in its Sh.12.17 Billion budget.
This was the second largest share after Health that was allocated Sh.1.87 Billion.
By Ann Salaton
