By Antynet Ford
Approximately fifty houses have been razed down by fire in the Mukuru Kwa Njenga slums from a suspected electrical fault
The fire is reported to have started in a single house before a gas explosion sparked the fire to spread to the adjacent houses.
Witnesses said the fire started during the mid-morning hours.
Attempts by the residents to fight the flames were in vain.
A video posted online shows desperate residents battling the flames using limited resources as firefighting engines were yet to arrive.
“We need firefighters to help contain this fire, we have not been able to contain it. Houses are burning down one by one.” An eyewitness was heard saying.
The situation was exacerbated by the lack of water in the area, as the slum has experienced water shortages in recent days.
“We don’t have any water, water was cut totally and houses are continuing to go down in flames.” the eyewitness added, highlighting the dire circumstances they found themselves in.
The Nairobi firefighting team later arrived at the scene and helped put off the fire.
Nairobi County Chief Officer in charge of Disaster Management Bramwell Simiyu said no casualties were reported during the incident and that the county team is on-site to assess the post-disaster need assessment.
“Nairobi City County Government confirms a fire at Mukuru Kwa Reuben initially suspected to have been a gas fire, but a preliminary investigation indicates may be as a result of electrical fault. The gas cylinders located in some of the houses exploded thereafter.” He said.
“No casualties were reported. The Fire and Rescue Services have since contained the fire and returned to base. The disaster management officers are onsite carrying out post-disaster needs assessment.” He added.
The incident is the latest in the densely populated slum area after a series of recent cases.
Mukuru Kwa Reuben and other slum areas have experienced a disturbing trend of frequent fire incidents, leaving residents vulnerable in the absence of emergency services.
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Further, this comes with reports earlier this month indicating that out of the 31 fire engines and water tanks, 26 have been grounded due to delays in procuring spare parts, leaving the city with just five operational vehicles to respond to emergencies across all 17 sub-counties.
Appearing before the County Assembly’s Culture and Community Services Committee last week, County Chief Officer for Disaster Management, Bramwell Simiyu, revealed that over 26 fire engines and tankers are currently grounded at the county’s central garage, awaiting repairs.
“We have 26 vehicles grounded for issues as simple as tires and brake parts. We’ve discussed this matter and pushed for action. As we speak, only five operational fire engines are covering the entire city.” Simiyu said.
Painting a grimmer picture, Simiyu disclosed that of the five vehicles in operation, only two are fully functioning fire engines, while the other three are water tankers.
A report released on September 30, 2024, revealed that 21 people had lost their lives in 130 fire incidents recorded between August 3 and September 21, 2024.