NAIROBI, Kenya — Residents of the Bottom Line area in Kangemi are counting heavy losses after a fire swept through the informal settlement on Tuesday morning, destroying several houses and household property.
The cause of the fire had not been established by the time of publication. Eyewitnesses said the blaze broke out at about 9:30 a.m. and initially appeared manageable before spreading rapidly through the densely built area.
One resident said the fire could have been contained early had there been a quicker response from homeowners or emergency services.
“I saw it around 9:45 while I was in a matatu heading to town. It wasn’t big at the time. If neighbours had acted quickly, it could have been managed,” the witness said.
Videos show firefighters at the scene working to contain the blaze, which had significantly reduced by the time fire crews arrived. By then, however, several houses—most constructed using iron sheets—had already been razed, leaving families homeless.
In the aftermath, residents were seen salvaging whatever belongings remained unburnt, while others carefully removed and stacked damaged iron sheets, hoping to rebuild once the situation stabilises.
Police are yet to issue an official statement on the incident. However, no fatalities or injuries had been reported as of the time of publishing.
The Kangemi fire comes less than a week after another major blaze was reported in the Mlango Kubwa area of Mathare, where a morning fire spread quickly through the densely populated settlement, destroying multiple houses and triggering panic.
In that incident, emergency responders, including the Nairobi Fire Brigade, were deployed to contain the fire, which reportedly started at around 9:00 a.m.
“A fire outbreak has been reported at Mlango Kubwa area in Mathare, Nairobi County. The Nairobi Fire Brigade is currently on site, and efforts to extinguish the fire are underway,” the Kenya Red Cross said at the time.
Preliminary accounts from Mathare suggested a possible gas-related incident, though authorities did not immediately confirm the cause. No casualties were reported.
The back-to-back fires have renewed concerns over fire safety and emergency response in Nairobi’s informal settlements, where closely packed housing and limited access routes often complicate firefighting efforts.
