Nairobi ramps up emergency response with 406 personnel, seven fire stations

Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson before the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Budget at County Hall in Nairobi on June 18, 2026. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Nairobi City County has established a 406-member Fire and Rescue workforce and operationalised seven strategically located fire stations across the capital.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja told the Senate that his administration has conducted fire safety drills and emergency simulation exercises as part of sweeping reforms aimed at building a disaster-ready city.

Appearing before the Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations, Sakaja outlined the county’s progress in strengthening firefighting and emergency response, saying the reforms are designed to improve preparedness, reduce response times and enhance public safety.

“Nairobi County has significantly expanded its firefighting infrastructure, with the Gikomba Fire Station now 80 per cent complete, a development expected to boost emergency response in one of Nairobi’s busiest commercial centres,” said Sakaja.

He said that Nairobi has intensified public preparedness through fire safety drills in public and private institutions, school fire awareness programmes, and a multi-agency emergency simulation exercise at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to test and strengthen emergency response systems.

The Governor told the Senate Committee that the county’s fire and rescue services have undergone a major transformation after years of relying on a single fire station in the Central Business District, which was overwhelmed in case of multiple emergencies.

“Nairobi depended on one fire station in the city centre for a long time. We have built additional fire stations, acquired more fire engines, expanded our workforce and invested heavily in training our personnel to improve emergency response across the city,” said Sakaja.

The Senate Committee Chairperson Fatuma Dullo commended Nairobi’s progress and underscored the need for a stronger national disaster management structure to enhance coordination between the National Government and county governments.

Dullo said the Senate will lobby for a more robust national-county disaster management framework to strengthen preparedness and response to fires and other emergencies since they are required to respond in the shortest time possible when called upon.

The governor told the committee that Nairobi has substantially improved its emergency response capacity through continuous training of firefighters and disaster management officers with specialised teams receiving training to effectively handle disasters when they occur.

“Specialised teams have received advanced training in urban search and rescue, water rescue, hazardous materials (HazMat) response, structural firefighting and emergency dispatch, enabling the county to respond more effectively to a wide range of emergencies,” said Sakaja.

He also highlighted the county’s investment in modern protective equipment for firefighters, saying that inadequate safety gear had long exposed emergency responders to unnecessary risks.

The governor further revealed that the county has developed a new Disaster and Emergency Management Policy and proposed regulations to strengthen disaster management framework, shifting from a reactive approach to one focused on prevention, preparedness and resilience.

 “For many years, our firefighters lacked adequate protective gear despite the risks they face every day. We have now procured modern protective equipment to ensure they can perform their duties safely and effectively,” he said.

Sakaja noted that the county’s 406 personnel serving in Fire and Rescue Services, Disaster Risk Reduction, Emergency Medical Services, Training and Administration are backed by highly qualified professionals with specialised expertise in disaster management and emergency response.

To further enhance capacity, the governor announced plans to establish a Fire and Disaster Management Simulation and Training Centre of Excellence in Ruai with the facility providing internationally benchmarked training, simulation exercises, research and innovation to continually improve Nairobi’s emergency response capabilities.

He also highlighted continued investment in modern firefighting equipment, including fire engines, foam tenders, rapid intervention vehicles, ambulances, rescue equipment and protective gear, adding that additional equipment will continue to be procured to strengthen operational readiness.

Sakaja told the committee that Nairobi City County is working closely with strategic partners, including the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the Kenya Red Cross Society, C40 Cities and other organizations, to strengthen early warning systems, build community resilience and enhance technical capacity for emergency preparedness.

“Nairobi County has laid a solid foundation for effective firefighting and disaster management and will continue investing in legislation, infrastructure, equipment, personnel and strategic partnerships to build a safer, more resilient and disaster-ready capital,” said Sakaja.