Oral East Africa>Obote Rd Fire station launched as Kisumu tries to get planning right At the hut of the story

Written by Leonida Owaga

Kisumu county launched its Fire and Emergency Station at Obote Road on April 30, just a few meters from the location of a fire incident that hit Kisumu Shiva Enterprises this month.

Obote Road along Lave Victoria's shoreline is lined with Kisumu's industrial belt and construction materials supplies, some which are highly flammable.

Kisumu hopes to get its planning right, setting up infrastructure to enhance the city’s emergency response capabilities under Kenya Urban Support Program funded by the World Bank.

The fire station, located at the Kisumu Works Yard features modern technology including Global Positioning System (GPS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) which will be a great addition for swift emergency response.

The communication system is also linked to police stations in the area with space allocated for the officers Quick Response Team (QRT).

Seeing into the future

The station is probably the largest in the area, enough to host county fire engines, with additional space, created for private fire engines to ensure timely response to disasters, now and in the future, as the city rapidly grows.

The location along Obote Road is ideal since the area is packed with industries where fires are more likely to start and most dangerous owing to the chemicals in the plants. A recent fire at the Kisumu Shiva Enterprises was put off and controlled, showing the fire stations ability to respond swiftly in the case of an emergency.

Fire, which is the second most common and damaging disaster after floods, requires a quick response. This station is the first of several more to be built in Kisumu ensuring all of it over one million population is well catered for.

“The launch of the Kisumu Fire and Emergency station brings significant benefits to Kisumu residents. Introducing a dedicated emergency hotline will enhance the fire departments responsiveness to fire incidents throughout the city.” Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o said on X, former Twitter.