Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris has called for
a thorough investigation into the cause of Thursday evening’s fire that gutted
several homes at Katani Villas, a gated community in Syokimau.
Residents say the blaze broke out at around 7:30 p.m.,
spreading rapidly from one house to another and forcing families to flee.
Firefighters from Machakos and Nairobi counties battled the
flames late into the night, but several homes worth millions of shillings were
reduced to shells.
In a statement on her X handle, Passaris urged authorities
to prioritise fire preparedness in residential areas.
“Fire safety measures should be a priority in all
residential areas, and government support in the aftermath should be as strong
here as it is in informal settlements,” she said.
She also expressed hope that no casualties had been reported
and pressed for a thorough probe into the cause of the inferno.
While no injuries have been confirmed, the tragedy adds to a
growing list of fire incidents in Kenya.
The country has witnessed repeated outbreaks in both urban
estates and informal settlements, often worsened by limited firefighting
capacity, delayed response times, and inadequate access to water hydrants.
According to the Kenya Red Cross, dozens of families are
displaced by fires every month, with property damage running into millions.
Authorities are yet to confirm the cause of the Syokimau
blaze.
