Over 100 families have been left homeless after a fire broke out on Sunday night in the Tulanga area of Mukuru Kayaba, Nairobi. The blaze spread rapidly due to strong winds, destroying numerous homes. Residents have complained about delays in emergency response.
The fire that started on Sunday night, December 8, 2025, in the Tulanga area of Mukuru Kayaba, South B, Starehe Sub-County, caused significant destruction. According to witness Bernard Munyao, aged 60, the blaze began in one house where the owner left a candle burning. "It started from one house where the owner had left a candle lit," Munyao said, adding that strong winds made it spread quickly.
Residents and volunteers attempted to extinguish the fire before police, local administrators, and the fire brigade from Kangundo Road arrived. Makadara Sub-County Police Commander Judith Nyongesa confirmed that an investigation has been launched. "We have sent officers to the scene to gather detailed information and determine what caused the fire," Nyongesa said.
Penninah Mutuku, a 40-year-old mother of two, escaped just in time as the fire reached her home. "I was able to save my two children," she said. Other residents complained of lacking even basic cooking utensils, and accused authorities of misplaced priorities, focusing on illicit brew crackdowns rather than fire emergencies.
The Mukuru area has seen multiple fires in 2025. On November 20, a blaze destroyed buildings in Mukuru Fuata Nyayo Village, displacing several families. On September 25, a fire in the Sinai area and Mukuru-Paradise 'A' slum killed two people, injured several others, and left over 200 families homeless. The government has provided aid in the past, as CS Ruku did on June 5 following the June 4 fire.
