A fire broke out on Saturday in a building located along Kumasi Road in Nairobi’s Central Business District.
Footage obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed the topmost floor in the high-rise building, located next to Barkat Biashara Mall opposite Simba Coach booking centre, engulfed in flames.
Smoke was seen billowing from the building as curious onlookers watched from a distance. Footage from the scene showed emergency fire services responding to the blaze, although the cause of the inferno remained unknown.
While there are no official reports on the number of casualties or injuries resulting from the fire, the inferno led to the destruction of several shops, leading to property of unknown value going up in flames.
Clips circulating on social media showed business owners in surrounding areas moving quickly to close their shops, fearing the blaze could easily spread to the neighbouring buildings.
Others could be seen going about their business, even as the crowd milling around the area grew larger. All this while, emergency services engaged in evacuation efforts for those feared to be inside the building at the time the fire broke out.
At the time of publishing, the Nairobi City County Government was yet to issue a formal statement on the fire. A section of Nairobians, however, had voiced their displeasure at the late response of the firefighters.
Historically, fires in the Nairobi CBD have been few and far between, but often bring massive destruction to property and result in loss of lives. Notably, on January 28, 2009, a fire at Nakumatt Downtown resulted in the deaths of at least 29 people, with 47 others reported missing. The blaze, which started near the only public staircase, trapped victims inside.
More recently, a fire at Ebrahim Shopping Mall along Moi Avenue on January 6, 2024, destroyed property on the first and second floors. While no injuries were reported, the cause of the fire remained under investigation. Firefighters took over two hours to contain the blaze, raising concerns about emergency response times.
Another fire occurred in the 20th Century Building on March 25, 2019, after an explosion in a dry-cleaning shop on the ground floor led to the blaze. Two individuals sustained minor injuries, including a pregnant woman. The fire was contained promptly, preventing further damage to the building located along Mama Ngina Street, which houses facilities like an IMAX theatre and restaurants.
On February 1, 2022, an early morning fire engulfed the second and third floors of Sunbeam Shopping Complex on Mfangano Street. Authorities suspected a faulty electrical outlet as the cause. The Nairobi Metropolitan Services and St John’s Ambulance responded swiftly, and no injuries were reported.
Another fire at Waranga House, located along Sheikh Karume Road, led to the building, housing hardware shops and residential units, suffering damage, but no injuries were reported. Firefighters deployed three engines to contain the blaze. The cause of the fire, which broke out at 5:30am, was attributed to welding activities.
