Kisii traders count losses as suspected arson torches shops

The traders suspect the fire to have been caused in a retaliatory attack. [Courtesy]

A group of Kisii Town traders are counting losses running into millions of shillings after their shops went up in flames in a Saturday morning inferno.

The businessmen who are operating near the Kisii Town Seventh Day Adventist Church lost good worth millions in a fire whose cause has not yet been established.

Johnson Momanyi told the Standard Digital that he got a call from a friend about the fire at 6 am.

“I do not know what to do now, I have incurred huge losses in my business, I request the government to investigate the cause of the fire and look at ways of assisting those who were affected,” said Momanyi.

During the morning fire the Kisii Central SDA Church Pastor’s office was partially destroyed by the fire which locals suspect was a revenge arson attack.

A businessman who spoke to the Standard Digital on condition of anonymity said that they are suspecting the fire was an arson attack linked to an incident in which Suneka residents torched three houses on Friday.

“Some of the Shops that were burnt down are said to be owned by people who are suspected to be behind the kidnapping of Pastor Esther Bochaberi who has been missing for the last three weeks,” said the Businessman.

Confirming the incident Kisii County Police Commander Haret Abdi said that nobody was injured during the morning incident and that his officers were currently carrying out investigations over the matter.

“My officers are currently carrying out investigations to establish if the cause of the fire was arson or any other, if anybody is found culpable for causing the fire they would definitely face the law,” said Abdi.

Only a few items were salvaged from the morning blaze as the County Disaster Management team delayed to get to the ground forcing residents to manually put off the fire.