Property destroyed as fire guts down Mama Ngina Children's Home

Fire outbreak at Mama Ngina Children’s Home in Kisumu. [Rodgers Otiso, Standard] 

Property of unknown value was destroyed at Mama Ngina Children’s Home in Kisumu following a fire incident that affected a dormitory housing 58 children.

Nyanza Regional Commissioner Flora Mworoa, who arrived at the scene alongside members of the regional security team and the home’s management, confirmed that the upper section of the dormitory was completely burnt down. She, however, assured the public that all 58 children housed at the institution were safe, having been evacuated in time to Agape Children’s Home with no injuries reported.

“The upper part of the dormitory has been completely burnt down, but I am happy to announce that our children are safe. They have all been evacuated, and none of them was injured,” said Mworoa. 

Aftermath of the fire outbreak at Mama Ngina Children’s Home in Kibuye Market, Kisumu County. [Rodgers Otiso, Standard]

She thanked residents of Kibuye Market for acting as first responders, saying their quick intervention helped prevent the fire from spreading further.

However, she raised concerns over a few individuals who attempted to vandalise the facility during the incident. “This is not the time to destroy property. We all came here to save this institution, and anyone with intentions of vandalising it should desist,” she warned.

Mworoa noted that preliminary assessments suggest the fire may have been caused by an electrical fault, though investigations are still ongoing to establish the exact cause. She added that relevant agencies would carry out a full assessment of the damage and advise on the next steps.

Mama Ngina Children’s Home manager Hellen Tuli said the fire broke out at around 4 pm, shortly after the children had taken their meals. A staff member noticed smoke coming from the roof and immediately raised the alarm, prompting the evacuation of the children.

“We thank God for saving the lives of the children. We have 58 children in this facility, and since none of them were upstairs at the time, we believe it could have been an electrical fault, but we will wait for investigations to confirm,” she said.

Tuli expressed gratitude to the Kibuye Market community, describing them as the first responders, and thanked the Kenya Police, Kenya Red Cross, Kenya Pipeline, and other partners who turned up in large numbers to help contain the blaze. She also appreciated the management and staff of Agape Children’s Home for accommodating the children.

“It would have been a different story, but we have seen God. We will now wait for guidance from the county government on the way forward,” she said.

Firefighters from the Kisumu County Government were deployed to the scene, but the fire spread rapidly and overwhelmed the initial response, prompting support from other agencies.

Eyewitness Robert Odanga, a resident of Kibuye Market, said the blaze moved fast and highlighted the need for improved safety measures.

“The fire spread very quickly, and if the community had not responded immediately, the damage could have been much worse,” said Odanga. He called on the county government to conduct regular electrical inspections at children’s institutions and to strengthen fire safety preparedness to prevent similar incidents in the future.