By Abdimalik Hajir
Garissa county fire department has come under sharp criticism over failure to put out fire after their truck malfunctioned.
During the incident, both two county fire engines that came for the emergency services couldn’t work as one had no water and the other failed to start.
Traders watched helplessly as their merchandise was turned into ashes with a handful of youths trying to put it out using water bowsers.
Properties of unknown value were destroyed with the majority of traders losing everything in their stalls.
It has also emerged that the majority of operators at the fire department are volunteers and may not know how to fully operate the fire engine.
An official told Frontier Online that officials who worked at the department were sacked leaving the essential department under the mercy of volunteers.
”This is total system failure, how can the whole county’s emergency response have failed, this is irresponsibility on the part of those in that department,” said Muktar Osman, chairman of Garissa human rights network.
He said the governor should take sole responsibility for the losses of the traders, saying the market has been prone to arson attacks with no one being held to account.
However, speaking to Frontier OnlineFrontier Online Municipal manager Mohamed Hassan denied that the fire engine malfunctioned at the fire incident place saying it was a small issue that was fixed immediately.
“By 6 in the morning both vehicles were at the market battling with the fire, it’s hearsay and propaganda saying they did work to contain the fire, personally I was there upto to the night to ensure the fire is completely off” He noted.
He also denied that the department is under the mercy of volunteers saying three who were sacked were recently reinstated.
“We had few challenges on the ground with people scrambling to us wanting to put off fire in their respective stalls while the staff are trained to contain the fire from spreading to other areas,” He added.
Moment after the incident on Monday, Geoffrey Kiringa Ruku, the public service Cabinet Secretary, Garissa Township MP Dekow Mohamed and Garissa women representative Udgood Siyad flew to Garissa.
Ruku said President William Ruto’s promise to rebuild the market is on course noting all necessary arrangements are in place to kick start the project.
“President when he was here promised to build the market here, it is in the last procurement stages to ensure a modern market is built to avert such fire disasters in future,” he noted.
He directed the county Commissioner and local administrators to assess the damage and have all the list of those affected the fire incidents adding that the government will give them relief food and stipend to keep them before they stand on their feet again.
Garissa deputy governor Abdi Dagane said that the market has witnessed fire incidents 8 times since 2013 adding that the county administration will not allow perennial fires to happen again.
He announced that traders will not be allowed to rebuild again until the county will fully build a new market.
Meanwhile, the affected traders yesterday were forced to sell their vegetables along Kismayu road.
They called for immediate intervention from both the county and national government on their promises to uplift their wellbeing.
