About six acres of sugarcane plantation was destroyed after unknown arsonists set it on fire in Mlimani village, Mautuma location, Lugari sub-county.
According to Mr. Moses Otieno, first the fire broke out on his neighbor’s farm at around 9pm and with the help of villagers they managed to contain it after destroying over an acre of the plantation before his four acres were also set ablaze moments later.
He said a few minutes after they had dispersed from the neighbor’s farm and everybody returned to their homes, he was informed that his plantation was also on fire.
Despite managing to control the fire and saving a section of the four-acre plantation they spotted another fire on the opposite side of the section that had been saved with the arsonists engaging them in a cat and mouse game.
As we tried to put off the fire on one side they lit it on the other side until the whole four acres were destroyed,” said Mr. Otieno, estimating the loss at over Kshs. 600, 000.
Otieno’s sentiments were echoed by Mr. Vincent Ongacho whom the fire started on his farm accusing some of the residents of pretending to help yet they were behind the incident.
He said he had managed to put off the fire about four times and whenever they put it off, it was again lit at a different point until the whole plantation was destroyed. “This is just an act of jealousness,” said Mr. Ongacho.
The affected farmers have appealed to the West Kenya Sugar Company which gave them the seedlings to quickly intervene and harvest the crop to save them further losses.
