One person killed, 20 injured in Mukuru Slum fire incident

Nairobi, Kenya; A man was killed, 20 injured and more than 1,000 structures flattened in a huge fire incident in Mukuru slums, Nairobi.

The Wednesday night incident rendered more than 1,500 families homeless as it raged through structures while being fanned by heavy winds.

Another fire incident in Fuata Nyayo area of the slum had earlier on Wednesday destroyed more than 500 structures leaving 12 people with burns and cuts.

A similar incident on Tuesday in Hazina slums also flattened 500 structures, police said.

Property of unknown value which include testimonials were destroyed in the Wednesday fire that took hours to contain.

Several families were evacuated as the fire spread fast amid fears of more destruction.

Police have since declared the fire was caused by illegal power connections within the slum.

“Most of the houses there have illegal power connections which we believe are behind the spread,” said Makadara OCPD Nehemiah Langat.

He said they are consulting power supplier Kenya Power to address the menace, which he described as a bomb waiting to explode.

Those affected are appealing for help to reconstruct their structures. Some of the injured were treated and discharged from hospitals in the area.

The fire incident at Mukuru Kayaba was the fourth on Wednesday in a series that happened in Nairobi.

Other incidents happened in Fuata Nyayo, and Mugoya estate, police said.

Another fire had on Tuesday burnt down more than 500 structures in Hazina slums of the larger slum.

Mukuru is the second largest in Nairobi after Kibera and keeps growing.

Fire engines that responded there seemed overwhelmed as the fire spread at high speed fanned by heavy winds that were experienced then.

Some engines were unable to access the places because of lack of roads in the slum.

Those rendered homeless have been camping at local churches and school compounds where good Samaritans are donating blankets, iron sheets and other construction materials.

Police statistics show fire incidents in informal settlements have been on the rise in the past weeks and have killed up to ten people in the last month alone.