Eight police officers and their families were last Friday left homeless after a fierce fire razed their dwellings in Nanyuki town.
The fire believed to have started in one of the officer’s timber house and whose cause could not be immediately established spread fast to the adjacent houses situated at Majengo chief’s camp also destroyed property worth thousands of shillings including a private vehicle, police uniforms, personal clothes and various household items.
Laikipia East Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit (CIPU) Commander Geoffrey Kamau confirmed the incident adding that in four of the houses, not a single item was salvaged and the officers were left with the only clothes they were wearing prior to the fire break out.
Kamau however said that no casualties were reported since family members present managed to get out fast but could not salvage any belongings due to the raging flames.
Nanyuki Fire engine responded to the alarm but the fast spreading fire had already consumed the eight houses.
Kamau said scene of crime officers had been dispatched to the area to launch investigations on what could have caused the fire bearing in mind that there were no people in the one-roomed houses when the fire broke out.
Many of the officers residing at the Chiefs Camp which houses over 50 police officers were away on duty and their families were out when the timber houses caught fire.
Kamau is now appealing to well-wishers to assist the officers with beddings, clothing and building materials to assist in construction of new houses.
One of the fire victims Moses Kariuki said that he was called while at work and informed that there were houses on fire at their residence where he hurriedly rushed.
Kariuki said he was worried upon calling his wife who was at home at the time but failed to answer the call only to find them safe after arriving at the scene.
However all his belongings including important documents were destroyed.
By Martin Munyi
