Nairobi slum fires kill 15 as government launches urgent probe

Residence of Leisure, Kongowea Mombasa try to come to terms on May 5, 2025 [Omondi Onyango, Standard]

The government has launched a multi-agency investigation into a wave of deadly fires that killed 15 people across Nairobi's informal settlements in less than a week.

Regional Commissioner of Nairobi Katee Mwanza said a coordinated team is working round the clock to determine the cause of the fires and hold those responsible to account.

"Investigations into the cause of the fires are ongoing with a view to establishing accountability and improving fire safety intervention in vulnerable communities," said Mwanza.

A fire on Sunday, May 19 tore through Mathare 4B killing six people including four Kenyans and two Ugandan nationals while injuring several others.

On Thursday, May 23 another blaze in Kambi Aluru village killed eight people including four children. The most recent incident occurred on Friday, May 24 in Mukuru kwa Reuben where a child died.

Scores of people were injured in the fires which have reignited calls for urgent investment in fire safety and long-term development in the slums.

"These repeated tragedies expose a dire lack of planning and response capacity in our slums," said Mwanza.

"Multi-agency teams have been deployed to the affected areas to support ongoing rescue, relief and coordination efforts. Emergency shelters and supplies have been mobilised for the displaced while rapid assessments are underway to determine survivors' needs," noted Mwanza.

Authorities are working with local administrators and humanitarian organisations to offer psychosocial support and identify the dead so families receive proper assistance.

Residents and advocates are calling for faster investment in slum upgrading programmes such as the Korogocho Slum Upgrading Program which seeks to improve infrastructure, widen footpaths and open up roads for fire engines and ambulances.

"Fire engines can't reach most of these places. The narrow congested paths make it impossible," said a community leader in Mathare who requested anonymity over safety concerns.

"We keep losing lives because our communities are not built to survive emergencies," he added.

As survivors grieve and rebuild the losses have reignited debate over urban planning, inequality and the government's role in protecting its most at-risk citizens.

"These fires are not just accidents. They are symptoms of systemic neglect. We must act urgently to change this," he noted.