A quiet Sunday evening in Huruma turned into a nightmare on August 10 when a fierce fire tore through Johnsaga, adjacent to Jumia Hospital, leaving residents counting heavy losses.
According to the Kenya Red Cross Nairobi Branch, the incident occurred at around 9 p.m. and was reportedly triggered by the explosion of a gas cylinder.
In an official statement, the humanitarian agency confirmed, “Incident alert at 9pm: A fire incident has been reported at Johnsaga next to Jumia Hospital in Huruma, Nairobi. Response teams are at the scene, working alongside community members to contain the fire.”
Fire engines from the Kenya Red Cross and other response units rushed to the scene, joining hands with residents in desperate attempts to stop the flames from engulfing more structures. Dramatic videos circulating online captured bright orange blazes lighting up the night sky, a grim reminder of the devastating force of urban fires.
While no casualties had been reported by the time of publication, many families were left with nothing but the clothes on their backs. The full extent of the damage is yet to be established, but eyewitnesses described the destruction as “massive and heartbreaking.”
This tragedy comes barely two months after a similar fire in Kibra’s Mukungu village destroyed dozens of homes and stalls, displacing over 100 families. Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, speaking after the Kibra incident, had acknowledged the recurring nature of such disasters in Nairobi’s informal settlements.
“Incidents of fires have become very common in informal settlements, especially in Nairobi. The government is committed to ending these tragedies to protect the lives and property of citizens,” he said at the time, promising emergency aid to victims.
For Huruma’s residents, the road to recovery will be a long and difficult one. As investigators probe the exact cause, the incident once again raises urgent questions about safety measures, infrastructure planning, and the vulnerability of densely populated neighborhoods to fire disasters.
