Fire guts Kisii County Assembly chambers
Governor James Ongwae on Friday closed Kisii County Assembly’s Chambers indefinitely and ordered it to be sealed off after fire gutted and reduced the Assembly’s chamber into ashes.
The Governor, accompanied by the House’s Speaker, David Kombo, Majority Leader, Timothy Ogugu and County Secretary, Patrick Lumumba said he has contacted experts from Nairobi to probe the cause of the fire.
He said nobody was injured during the inferno, adding the fire broke out shortly after officers from Kenya Power Company had finished repairs next to his and the Assembly’s offices.
“The fire brigade responded quickly and put out the fire. It could have done much damage to other offices. No documents were destroyed,” Ongwae said.
The governor noted the problem could have been caused by an electrical fault but hastened to add the experts will ascertain the cause after investigations and advise the Assembly of measures to take to curb such incidents.
He said the county had a fully fledged modern fire station and fire engines and assured members of the public the county was prepared to put out fires.
“We pray we do not get fires. But if they happen we are prepared to fight them,” Ongwae said.
Curious members of the public milled along the county office’s perimeter fence and security officers had a difficult time controlling them as fire brigades battled the fire.
The officers chased the members of the public who wanted to force their way into the County’s offices as the governor addressed the Press.
The incident occurred even as the chairperson of the Commission on Administrative Justice commonly known as Ombudsman, Florence Kajuju was meeting Members of the County Assembly at a local hotel.
Some Member of the Assembly rushed from the meeting and watched from a distance in disbelief as smoke billowed from the Assembly.
