For Nafisa Burhan, the beeps from two motorcycles outside his gate at 5am on Saturday morning were not unusual.
She had just woken up to pray inside her house located a few metres from what would later be the scene of a fire tragedy in Nairobi’s Kibera. As she knelt down to pray, she heard two screams.
At first, Burhan told the Nation , she thought the screams were by a group of small-scale traders, who had been robbed. So, she brushed them off and went on with her prayers. She was, however, forced to open her door a few moments later after the noises persisted.
Nafisa Burhan, a landlord in Makina, Kibera, where fire claimed eight lives on May 24, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
“There was mayhem. I saw some of the women from the houses on fire just before they perished. One of them had gone back to the house to pick a son, who had overslept, even after rescuing the other ones. Unfortunately, she did not make it,” she said.
Together with a group of other elderly women, they immediately embarked on putting out the fire using the little water that was available.
Even as the fire spread, Ms Burhan said some of the families trapped inside the shanties struggled to get out as the blaze blocked one exit, making it difficult for rescues to get inside.
“They would not get out and there was no one to get in to rescue them. All we had were cries and they then went silent. We were helpless,” she said.
It was not until 6am when the fire was contained by the Nairobi City County government firefighters that residents say they got a better picture of the tragedy.
Mr Bramwel Simiyu, the Chief Officer for Disaster Management at the county government said at least 71 iron-sheet houses were completely destroyed and the families displaced.
Area residents of in Makina, Kibera inspect damage on their houses following a fire incident on May 24, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
“Our fire department together with the local community joined hands to put out the fire. Unfortunately, we lost some of the residents while we rushed some of them to the hospital,” Mr Simiyu said.
Ms Rose Odinga, a resident of Kibera, who witnessed the inferno, said one of the most disturbing scenes from the accident was that members of two families were found to have died holding hands. They had recently moved to the area and were burned beyond recognition in the accident.
“It was a painful experience and we were not aware that they were inside. It is after the fire department had put out the blaze that their bodies were discovered,” she said.
Eight people have been confirmed dead and at least seven others hospitalised with various injuries following the fire incident.
Nairobi regional police commander George Seda said the individuals in hospital had suffered various injuries, including burns.
The police chief, who on Saturday morning addressed a press brief in Nairobi, said preliminary investigations revealed that the fire may have been caused by illegal power connections, but an investigation to get a conclusive answer was underway.
Area residents of in Makina, Kibera inspect damage on their houses following a fire incident on May 24, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
The police boss said investigators were also pursuing other reports that that the fire could have been caused by a candle in one of the houses.
Mr Abdul Karim, one of the residents involved in the rescue operations, said a pregnant mother was rushing to safety from her house when the flames overwhelmed her.
“It was a disturbing scene, she just died in front of me. I was pained that I was unable to rescue her. I tried my best but it was too late,” he said.
Abdul Karim, who assisted in the rescuing exercise after a fire broke out in Makina, Kibera on May 24, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
As the families and neighbours grieved, some were asking the authorities to investigate and establish the cause of the fire and assist the families which were displaced.
“We do not know what exactly happened. We urge the government to assist those who have been displaced,” Ms Ann Atieno, a resident, said.
Those who were affected by the incident gathered at the DC Grounds in Kibera where they were issued with foodstuffs and other items by officials from the Kenya Red Cross Society. Government officials were also involved in the identification of the victims.
