A fierce morning blaze tore through the densely populated Mlango Kubwa area of Mathare on Wednesday, sending thick plumes of smoke over the Nairobi skyline, disrupting major traffic arteries, and leaving an unknown number of residents homeless.
The fire, which erupted around 9 a.m. on December 10, 2025, spread with alarming speed through the neighbourhood’s tightly packed structures. Fueled by the aluminium sheets commonly used for construction in informal settlements, the flames quickly grew into an inferno, swallowing homes and belongings.
Chaotic scenes unfolded as residents, gripped by panic, fled with whatever possessions they could carry. In a desperate bid to save their homes, many joined the initial firefighting efforts, using water cans and tins. However, the situation turned drastically more dangerous and chaotic when exploding gas cylinders rocked the area, intensifying the fire and scattering crowds.
The incident caused significant disruption across the city, with emergency vehicles facing severe challenges navigating congested roads around Juja, Huruma, and Eastleigh, which were flooded with both traffic and onlookers.
While Nairobi County’s emergency department had not yet issued an official statement at the time of reporting, a growing sense of dread settled over the community. Unconfirmed but persistent fears circulated that a child may have perished in the flames, though authorities have not confirmed any casualties.
Preliminary accounts from locals at the scene suggest the blaze may have originated from an electrical fault. Official investigations are expected to commence once firefighters fully contain the fire.
The tragedy in Mlango Kubwa casts a stark light on the recurring vulnerability of informal settlements to such disasters, where close-quarter living and construction materials can turn a single spark into a widespread catastrophe. For now, a community waits in fear for official word on the scale of their loss.
