Fire swept through Karanja Stage, Karanja Village, Makina Ward, Kibra Constituency on Saturday, with families tallying the costs as the fire ripped through the densely populated neighborhood.
The fire, whose cause was yet to be determined at the point of filing the reports, spread fast, with the density of buildings and the unavailability of water creating a bad combination. According to residents, the unavailability of water made it impossible to control the fire when it broke out.
Eyewitnesses said there were scenes of panic as thick smoke filled the air and fire engulfed house after house. Residents were forced to flee with just what they could carry, pulling out mattresses, clothing, and cooking pots in a bid to save their property.
Fire department services, aided by rescue teams of the Red Cross of Kenya, also reacted to the situation, although the process of fighting the fire was hampered by the lack of water. At the fire site, it was observed that the fire department services had been fighting the fire, with residents looking on.
However, it was not yet clear by Saturday evening how many persons may have been injured or how many properties may have been destroyed.
This is the latest in a recent series of deadly fires to occur in Kibra. On Saturday, December 16, 2025, a fire in the area around Mashimoni Junction in Laini Saba killed two people and left dozens of families without roofs over their heads when some 70 buildings were destroyed. This was the sequel to the May 24, 2025, outbreak in Makina-Kichinjio, in which eight people lost their lives, eight of whom were from the same family, together with a pregnant woman.
According to residents, fire outbreaks are a recurring nightmare in the region, which is often attributed to electrical faults, gas and stove accidents, and even using candles in houses that lack consistent electricity. However, they claim that the missing factor that turns dangerous situations to tragic ones is water. While families struggle to come to terms with this new loss, it has not yet been officially reported by the Nairobi County Government.
