A fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon at the Christian Foundation Fellowship (CFF) Church in Kangaru, Kirimari Ward, Embu County, destroying part of the church and causing heavy losses to the congregation.
The blaze started around 2:00 p.m. during a lunchtime prayer service. No injuries were reported, but the fire consumed the church's old sanctuary, which was being used as offices and Sunday school classrooms.
Bishop Dr. Harrison King'ang'i of CFF said the fire began shortly after the congregation finished praying and he was blessing worshippers. Members noticed smoke and flames coming from the old sanctuary before the fire rapidly spread.
Despite efforts by church members and local residents to contain the fire, it overwhelmed them before firefighters from Embu County arrived. The fire service focused on preventing the flames from spreading to nearby homes and other church buildings.
Kirimari Ward Administrator Ethan Kinyua, who is also a church member, received a distress call from the bishop and alerted the fire brigade. He praised the community's prompt response in trying to control the fire with buckets of water and soil before the firefighters arrived.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, and police have launched investigations. Bishop King'ang'i described the incident as a devastating blow, with property losses estimated in the millions of shillings.
Following concerns about the firefighting response, Kinyua explained that the fire brigade left after containing the main blaze and preventing further spread, but they returned later to extinguish remaining hotspots upon residents' request.
The incident has left the congregation mourning the loss of a cherished place of worship that had served the community for many years.
