Former Governor Urges Sakaja to Build Fire Stations in All 17 Sub-Counties After Deadly Fire
Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has appealed to the current county boss, Johnson Sakaja, to prioritize the construction of fire stations across all 17 sub-counties of Nairobi, following the tragic Huruma gas explosion that claimed eight lives and left many families devastated.
Sonko, who has remained active and influential on social media since leaving office, took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to express his sorrow over the incident. While mourning the victims, he also used the moment to remind Governor Sakaja of the urgent need to strengthen the city’s emergency response capacity.
“To prevent the continued loss of innocent lives in such heartbreaking fire disasters, I strongly urge the Governor of Nairobi to implement my earlier proposal of establishing at least one well-equipped fire station in each of the 17 sub-counties,” Sonko said in a heartfelt statement.
The former governor explained that during his tenure, he had initiated several fire response projects in key areas, including Gigiri, Ruaraka, Kangundo Road, and Waithaka. However, he noted that these facilities alone were not sufficient to serve a rapidly growing city like Nairobi, where fire outbreaks have become frequent and deadly.
The recent tragedy struck on Thursday, when a massive fire caused by a gas explosion swept through Huruma estate, killing eight people and leaving at least 80 families homeless. Shock and anger gripped residents, many of whom blamed the slow response by county emergency services for the extent of the destruction.
According to locals, the delay in firefighting efforts worsened the situation. Residents complained that help took too long to arrive, even though a new fire station had recently been set up nearby.
“Red Cross hasn’t been able to reach here, and the county government is sleeping on the job,” one frustrated resident said. “There’s a new fire station built just close by, but when people called, the officers said they were still looking for fuel.”
Emergency response teams also confirmed that they faced serious logistical challenges, including a lack of fuel, which limited their ability to act quickly.
Following the tragedy, Sonko stepped in through his Sonko Rescue Team to offer assistance to the affected families. He announced that he would cover transportation costs for the eight victims so that their bodies could be taken to their rural homes for burial.
In addition, he pledged to purchase a coffin for each of the victims to ensure they receive a dignified send-off.
Currently, Nairobi County has only 11 functioning fire stations. Among them are the historic Khoja Fire Station in the city center and another one located in the Industrial Area.
These two facilities have served as the backbone of Nairobi’s firefighting operations since independence, although a few additional ones, such as the Kangundo Road Fire Station, were added in 2019 to boost capacity.
The Huruma inferno came barely a week after another fire incident in the Sinai area of Mukuru kwa Reuben, where two people lost their lives and several others sustained injuries. That fire, which broke out on September 5, left more than 200 families homeless.
Witnesses from the Mukuru kwa Reuben tragedy recalled that the fire started in one of the houses while most residents were asleep. Despite desperate efforts by locals to extinguish the flames using water and sand, the blaze spread rapidly to other nearby homes, destroying property worth millions.
Sonko’s latest message highlights an ongoing challenge in Nairobi’s disaster management system — the lack of enough well-equipped and adequately staffed fire stations.
His call adds pressure on Governor Sakaja to act swiftly and strengthen emergency preparedness in order to prevent such heartbreaking losses in the future.
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