A fire that broke out at the Kilifi County offices on Tuesday morning, November 12, has raised suspicions and sparked concerns about its timing, coming just days after local activist Hanifa Farsafi publicly criticized the state of schools and hospitals in the area.
The fire, which occurred around mid-morning, disrupted business activities in Kilifi town, with residents rushing to the scene to witness the incident.
Witnesses reported seeing smoke coming from the Department of Water and Environment, initially suspecting that a building might have caught fire.
However, some local residents are questioning why a government department would be burning trash in the middle of the town.
A concerned witness told the media, “They were saying that if you burn trash in the middle of town, the environmental officers will arrest you.
But now we’re wondering how such a big organization can come and burn trash here, where there are houses and people living,” suggesting that the fire might not have been accidental.
The timing of the fire has only fueled suspicions. Farsafi, who recently exposed the deplorable conditions of schools and hospitals in Kilifi, including a Kakoneni Primary School building that was renovated at a cost of sh 3.6 million only to develop cracks shortly after, took to social media to highlight what she called “diabolical” conditions in the county.
She also shared concerns about over 2,000 students using just five toilets in a dilapidated state.
Some social media users have speculated that the fire might be an attempt to destroy evidence related to Farsafi’s allegations.
One user wrote, “So that they can hide the evidence, we know the game,” while others echoed the sentiment, suggesting that the fire was a deliberate act to cover up the activist’s findings.
Kilifi County’s Committee Member for Water and Environment, Omar, responded to the incident by confirming that the department was in a meeting when they were alerted to the fire by residents’ screams.
He praised the quick response of the fire emergency services but stated that the cause of the fire had not yet been determined.
“We immediately alerted the fire department, and we want to thank them for responding swiftly,” Omar said.
“However, we still do not know the cause of the fire.”
As investigations into the incident continue, the community remains on edge, with many questioning the circumstances surrounding the fire and whether it is linked to the allegations raised by Farsafi regarding the mismanagement of public funds and services in the county.
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