Hundreds of households residing in Mukuru Kayaba in Nairobi have been left homeless following a recent fire outbreak in the area.
Speaking to the media on December 10, 2025, the residents claimed that the fire outbreak had left them stranded with their families, with no help from the government.
"I have kids, and I do not even have a sufuria to cook for them. How will they eat?" a victim of the fire told the media.
The victims have accused authorities of delayed emergency response to the fire, claiming that despite having firefighters in the area, the residents had to rely on a fire engine from another area.
The residents also claimed that the authorities have misplaced priorities, saying that they show up for illicit brew crackdowns in the area but do not show up when there is a fire accident.
The Mukuru area has been prone to slum fires in 2025. On November 20, a fire broke out in Mukuru Fuata Nyayo Village, South B Ward, Nairobi County, destroying several buildings and properties of unknown value, leaving multiple families displaced.
On September 25, 2025, a deadly fire broke out in the Sinai area and Mukuru–Paradise 'A' slum, killing two people and injuring several others. Over 200 families were left homeless after the fire.
On August 4, 2025, a fire broke out near Njenga Primary School in Mukuru Kwa Njenga. The fire is believed to have started after a gas cylinder exploded in a rental unit.
Earlier in June 2025, a fire also broke out in the "Vietnam" section of Mukuru Kwa Njenga, affecting about 70 households and 10 businesses, with one person admitted to the hospital after suffering injuries from the fire.
The government has at times stood with the victims of the fire incidents. CS Ruku on June 5, 2025, visited the victims of the June 4, 2025, Mukuru fire to assess the extent of the damage and loss and provided emergency relief assistance to the residents.
