At least 21 shops were razed down on Tuesday, February 25 night at Kericho Town stage, police have confirmed.

The fire, which broke out at around 9 PM, quickly spread, destroying property of unknown value. Many traders and residents have blamed the Kericho County Fire Brigade for what they described as a slow and ineffective response, which allowed the inferno to cause extensive damage.

According to eyewitnesses, the only firefighting team that responded promptly was from Finlays, a multinational tea company operating in the region. The Kericho County Fire Brigade arrived at the scene with insufficient water, rendering their efforts ineffective. Unfortunately, by the time help arrived, most of the property had already been destroyed.

Rose Rotich, a trader at Kericho Main Stage, expressed her frustration, stating: “I received a call from a friend informing me about the fire. When I rushed to the scene, my shop was already burnt down. The county fire brigade team responded late—hours after the fire had already consumed everything.”

Another victim, a welder, lamented the huge losses he incurred: “I lost four welding machines and three power saws worth almost KSh500,000. If the fire brigade had arrived in time, maybe we could have saved something.”

Angry residents have criticized the county government, led by Governor Dr. Erick Mutai, for what they say is poor disaster response preparedness. Many questioned why a multinational company’s fire department responded faster than the county’s own team.

The Kericho fire incident coincided with another blaze in Litein town, raising further concerns about the county’s ability to handle such emergencies.

This disaster also comes just days after the Kericho Municipal Council issued a notice on February 22, ordering unregulated hawkers to vacate the area around the Kericho bus terminus, traders are demanding answers and urgent reforms in the county’s fire response system.