Vihiga County Revenue office which is under 24-hour police surveillance was today burnt down in unclear circumstances in Mbale town. The incident was reported at 1am by the county enforcement officers who were also manning the same office at the municipal grounds.
According to the County’s town manager Paul Ayodi, the fire occurred early in the morning as several revenue receipts and properties went into ashes.
He said they managed to salvage some of the property when fire brigades from Kakamega were called to put off the fire. “We have not yet established the cause of the fire. By the time the fire broke out, the revenue office had been disconnected by power,” he said. Ruling out that the fire might have been caused by an electric fault.
He said the approximated value of the property destroyed will be determined once police have finalized their investigations.
“The day’s revenues collected are always banked and therefore I doubt if some funds were stored in the building,” said Ayodi.
Vihiga governor Moses Akaranga who visited the scene in Mbale town asked the police to launch investigations to the unfortunate incident and ensure the culprits are brought to book.
“We have been saddened by this incident and police should launch preliminary investigations to ascertain the cause of the fire,” said Akaranga adding that the police have taken statements from relevant officers.
The employees were unable to access their offices as they stood outside and watched in disbelief as they ponder what to do next.