A massive fire broke out and engulfed numerous houses in Mlango Kubwa area in Mathare on Wednesday morning, December 10, causing widespread panic among residents.
The Kenya Red Cross Nairobi Branch, confirming the incident, issued an alert stating that the Nairobi Fire Brigade was currently on site with efforts to extinguish the flames underway.
"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 Red Cross stated.
According to local reports, the blaze erupted at approximately 9:00 a.m. in the Mlango Kubwa, Kianda section of Mathare, with initial suspicions pointing to a possible gas explosion as the cause. The fire quickly spread through the densely populated informal settlement, destroying several houses.
Fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far, although firefighters continue to battle the blaze to prevent further destruction and contain the spread to neighboring structures.
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Witnesses at the scene have suggested that a gas cylinder explosion may have triggered the inferno, though authorities have not confirmed this.
This latest fire comes after Mathare has experienced several devastating infernos this year, raising questions about fire preparedness and safety measures in the informal settlement.
In May 2025, a tragic night fire claimed at least five lives after breaking out around 2:00 a.m. in the Mathare B slums.
The blaze started in one iron sheet structure and rapidly spread to neighboring homes, destroying at least eight houses and damaging two nearby churches.
Four others suffered serious injuries and were hospitalized. Emergency responders noted that inadequate road access within the settlement severely hampered their response time and contributed to the extensive damage.
Three months later, in August, another devastating fire tore through Jangwani Village in Mathare Area 4, destroying over 45 homes and displacing numerous families.
That incident resulted in one fatality, while two young children, five-year-old Gabriel Muuo Mulinge and his two-and-a-half-year-old brother Daniel Mumo, were left fighting for their lives with severe burns at Kenyatta National Hospital's Intensive Care Unit.
