Residents of Karuri in Kiambaa constituency are happy after a Sh63 million fire station is being built in the area.
The project funded by the World Bank is in Karuri town, along Banana-Nairobi road.
Residents said they usually incur huge losses when fires break out because of the late response by firefighters. The firefighters have to come all the way from Thika or Nairobi.
"When a fire breaks out in this area, firefighters usually arrive too late," resident Silas Mwangi said.
Karuri municipality manager Munga Kihiu said on Friday they received Sh233 million from the World Bank, and have spent Sh63 million to build the Kiambu County Disaster Management Centre at Karuri. It is 80 per cent complete.
The remaining cash will be used to improve roads, drainage and street lighting.
"This place is growing fast. When the World Bank set aside that money for us, we decided to build a fire station and improve roads," Kihiu said.
The station, he said, will have ambulance services, storage rooms, water and facilities to offer first aid training to secondary school students, churches and other groups.
It will also have dormitories, a kitchen and boardrooms for the firefighters.
Karuri MCA Peter Njoroge said facilities such as the fire station will attract investors.
"When we have such facilities, we shall attract more investors and in the process, our people will get employment, more customers, and the area will grow," he said.
Edited by A.N
