A fire outbreak on Wednesday night left several families counting losses after property worth thousands of shillings was destroyed in Kibera Lindi, near Hiki Butchery. The blaze, which broke out shortly before midnight, spread quickly through the densely populated settlement before being contained by county firefighters.
According to residents, the fire is believed to have been triggered by an electrical heater from a neighboring house. Speaking to Sylivia Manyasi , one of the tenants affected by the incident.
“The fire started from the neighbor’s side, where a heater was in use. Within minutes, the flames had spread to our plot, and people were rushing to salvage whatever they could,” she recounted.
Panic gripped the residents as the fire spread from one wooden structure to another, forcing many to flee their homes in the middle of the night. Neighbors worked tirelessly, forming makeshift chains to pass water containers, while others tried to break down walls to stop the fire from spreading further.
The Nairobi County Fire Brigade arrived at the scene after being alerted and managed to put out the fire before it consumed more houses. Fortunately, there were no injuries or fatalities reported.
By Thursday morning, affected families were left sifting through the ashes in search of anything salvageable. Children’s schoolbooks, clothes, and household utensils were among the items destroyed.
“This is a big loss for us. Many people here live hand-to-mouth, and now they have to start from scratch,” Manyasi added.
Local leaders have since urged well-wishers and humanitarian organizations to come to the aid of the affected families, calling for the provision of food, clothing, and temporary shelter.
Incidents of fire are not new in Kibera, one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements, where congested housing and faulty electrical connections often heighten the risk. Residents are now appealing to authorities to provide more fire safety awareness and strengthen rapid response mechanisms in the area.
Though shaken, the community expressed gratitude that no lives were lost in the incident, attributing the outcome to “God’s grace.”
