Property lost in KRA warehouse fire

Millions of shillings was lost after fire razed down KRA customs office warehouse at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. [PHOTO: Moses Omusala/Standard]

By Cyrus Ombati

NAIROBI KENYA: A huge fire burnt down the main Kenya Revenue Authority’s customs department warehouse at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport destroying property worth millions of shillings.

The fire that started at about 5.20 am on Monday raged through Forodha House burning down the property.

Fire fighters were overwhelmed by the inferno and had to leave the vicinity after goods stored in thewarehouse started exploding.

The fire fighters had to seek reinforcement to put out the fire.

Airport CID boss Joseph Ngisa said they were yet to establish the cause of the fire.

“The fire is too huge for now and we are struggling to contain it first. We are yet to know what cause it,” said Ngisa from the scene. None had been reported injured.

The warehouse stores all manner of retained goods whose customs duty have not been paid for.

Meanwhile, two prime suspects behind a series of theft of vehicles along Mombasa Highway have been arrested.

Police say they arrested the two men aged 52 and 53 in Makindu area after a dramatic chase in a botched robbery of a vehicle.

The two are expected in Kibera court in Nairobi on Monday to face various charges of theft of vehicles.

Police say the two had robbed a lawyer of his car along Kirichwa Road in Kilimani area, Nairobi before they were pursued to the area at the weekend.