Dozens of residents were left homeless after a fire erupted in the Southlands, Kijiji area in Lang'ata Constituency on Saturday night.
The fire erupted a few minutes before 8 pm and was only contained at 10.20 pm, according to the Kenya Red Cross.
"The situation has been successfully contained thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Nairobi City County fire team, the Kenya Red Cross and Community Based Disaster Response teams," read a statement from the Kenya Red Cross.
According to residents, firefighters from the Nairobi County Government arrived at the scene about an hour later in an attempt to put out the fire.
However, according to some, the fire trucks arrived without water, slowing down the process. Residents noted that this was not the first time the disaster response team arrived at a fire scene without water in their engine tanks.
Notably, the rescue team was forced to enter through Onyonka Estate to access the scene due to the crowded businesses and houses in the Kijiji area.
The fire started in the heart of the residential area, forcing the residents to flee to safety. The Kenya Red Cross advised the locals to avoid putting their children to sleep until the fire was contained to avoid inhaling the toxic gases.
Following the fire, some residents were forced to camp along the streets with their belongings, including mattresses, gas cylinders, and clothing items.
Additionally, the children had also been evacuated as the disaster management team attempted to extinguish the fire.
Police officers were also at the scene alongside an ambulance from the county to evacuate any casualties.
The area has experienced several fire outbreaks with another reported in October 2022. Lang'ata Member of Parliemant Phelix Odiwour alias Jalang'o noted that having a fire station in Lang'ata was necessary.
"This is my second month in office and this is the third Fire incident in Langata. Unfortunately, my constituents will sleep in the cold tonight," he stated in October.
This came after another fire was reported in the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) on Thursday morning last week.
