Despair for Kamukunji village residents left homeless by night fire

In the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday, while much of Nairobi still slept, a storm of fire ripped through Kasilili village in the heart of Airbase ward, Kamukunji constituency—leaving nothing but charred memories in its wake, and some 500 people homeless amid the biting cold in the city.

 Within minutes, their homes turned to ash. Their lives, once modest but stable, were ripped apart by flames that devoured everything in sight.

 By sunrise, many families, though lucky to have escaped with life, now face even grinding poverty as they have lost everything.

 From makeshift hotels, Mama Mboga business stalls to stores of wares and shanty homes lapped by the unrelenting tongue of fire, the unforgiving urban poverty that residents had known how to keep up with will now only get harsher for them.

 According to reports, the late night fire started with a strange glow near a metal container at the edge of the village.

 The tragedy comes just days after fire tore down the handcraft section of Kamukunji market compounding the almost predictable fire incidents in the city marred by characteristic poor response.

 Witnesses claim that someone had set tires alight beneath it—why or who, no one knows.  Fueled by wind and flammable building materials, it tore through the village like a beast unleashed.

 Area police say investigation is ongoing to determine whether the fire was an act of arson or an accident.

 What remained was not just rubble and smoke, but a raw kind of silence—where grief hangs heavier than the heat still rising from the ground.

 Among those now stranded is Naomi Wanjiru, a 34-year-old mother of three, who was awakened by frantic knocking.

 “I thought I was dreaming,” she said. “But when I opened the door, the sky was orange. Smoke was already in the house. I grabbed my baby and ran out barefoot. I didn’t even have time to take shoes.”

 Her story echoes those of dozens of others. John Muli, a boda boda rider, stood quietly beside the melted remains of his motorbike.

 “That was my whole business,” he murmured, eyes fixed on the twisted metal. “I bought it on loan. Now what do I do? How do I feed my family?”

 What made the situation worse was the delay in emergency response. According to Peter Njoroge, a local elder, firefighters reached the scene but couldn’t access the heart of the fire in time.

 “The main garage gate was locked. That was the quickest way in,” he said. “Instead, they had to squeeze in through a tiny side gate, and by then, the fire had already spread too far.”

 The consequences were devastating. Homes built closely together in the densely packed village created a firetrap. People had minutes others seconds, to escape. Many didn’t even manage to grab their IDs or children’s school bags.

 Miriam Atieno, a single mother of four, was among the hardest hit. “We have nothing. Their school books, uniforms, everything is gone,” she said, as her youngest daughter clung to her lap. “They didn’t go to school today. I don’t know when they will again.”

 All around her, families sat on mattresses, clutching carrier bags with the little they managed to save. Infants cried from hunger and confusion. Elderly residents stared blankly at the blackened outlines of homes they had lived in for decades.

 And yet, the worst wound was not just physical loss—but the unanswered questions. Who set the fire? Was it targeted? Was it negligence or malice? The community wants answers, and fast.

 “This wasn’t just an accident,” insisted James Kiptoo, a 61-year-old resident. “You don’t just find tires burning under a container for no reason. We need an investigation. We need justice.”

 Local leaders have called for government intervention, urging officials to provide temporary shelter, food aid and rebuild plans. But for now, the people of Kasilili wait—huddled under tarps beside the roads, clinging to one another in the chill of an uncertain tomorrow.

 “We may be alive,” Naomi says, “but what kind of life is this?”

 As night falls again on Kasilili village, the flames are gone—but the pain is only beginning.

Instant Analysis:

Beyond the blaze lies a deeper story of neglect, desperation and unanswered questions. Kasilili’s tragedy is a stark reminder of Nairobi’s growing urban vulnerability—and the high human cost when infrastructure and accountability fall short.