Several families have been left homeless and counting losses after a fire razed seven houses at the Meru Main and Women Prison staff quarters, destroying household property and disrupting lives.
The blaze broke out on Tuesday night and is suspected to have been caused by an electrical fault. While no injuries were reported, the fire wiped out belongings for the affected prison warders, forcing families to seek temporary shelter.
Speaking at the scene on Wednesday, Imenti North MP Rahim Dawood faulted the delayed response by the county fire brigade, saying the fire spread unchecked despite alerts being raised.
“We have been informed that the fire may have been caused by an electrical fault. The fire engine was called, but the houses were completely destroyed and, up to now, the fire engine has not arrived,” Dawood said.
Among those affected is a female prison officer who lost all her household items, leaving her children unable to attend school due to the lack of basic necessities.
The MP described the situation as distressing for the families, warning that the delayed response exposed both prison officers and inmates to serious danger.
Conflicting explanations were reportedly given after the incident, with some officials citing lack of fuel while others blamed mechanical problems with the fire engine.
“The most important development that the Meru County Government should prioritise is fire engines. When I was a councillor, Meru town had four fire engines, but over time that number was reduced as successive governors relocated them to other towns,” Dawood said.
He questioned the county’s preparedness to respond to major emergencies, especially within Meru town, warning that similar incidents could have far-reaching consequences.
“The county government must explain what would happen if a fire broke out in Meru town. If a fire engine could not reach this place the entire night, can we truly save the town in case of a major fire?” he posed.
Dawood said that although no lives were lost, the emotional and financial toll on the affected families remains heavy. He called for urgent investment in functional, well-maintained and fully fuelled fire engines, stressing that emergency preparedness should be treated as a core public safety priority.
