The government has promised to assist families who have been displaced by another fire that razed down their houses in Mukungu village, Kibera, on Thursday morning.
Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes, Geoffrey Ruku who visited the families on Thursday morning, regretted that fires have become common, especially in informal settlements in Nairobi. The CS said the government was determined to end such incidents.
“Fire incidents have become very common in the informal settlements, especially in Nairobi. The government is committed to ending these tragedies to protect the lives and properties of citizens,” Mr Ruku said.
“The government will provide emergency relief aid to the families to assist them in getting their lives back on track,” he added.
The CS pointed out that part of the measures the government is undertaking to ensure those in informal settlements do not continue to suffer is the provision of affordable housing.
“The affordable housing projects in the informal settlements spearheaded by President William Ruto are a sustainable solution to such incidents and will ensure the government protects lives and properties of Kenyans while providing decent living environments,” Mr Ruku said.
The CS Ruku who was accompanied by area MP Peter Orero said the government will give the affected families blankets, mattresses, rice, soap and utensils.
The latest fire incident comes just a week after Members of Parliament called on the government to provide a long lasting solution over frequent fire outbreaks in informal settlements that have left many dead and properties destroyed.
Last month, a fire incident in Kibera left nine people dead and has now prompted the lawmakers to raise questions over the government's preparedness in handling disasters especially in the informal settlement.
The lawmakers challenged the government to come clear on its disaster management preparedness to avoid future loss of lives and properties.
Emuhaya MP Omboko Milemba, through request for statement, regrettably noted that the Kibera fire incident has added to the statistics of the many tragedies that have hit people living in the informal settlements.
More worrying to the lawmaker is that the fire that burnt the nine people beyond recognition went on for some time before any help could arrive either from the county or national government.
Mr Milemba also regretted that almost two weeks after the incident, the families who lost their loved ones are yet to get the DNA results of their kin in order to proceed with burial arrangements.
The lawmaker now wants the government to furnish the House with a comprehensive report on the cause of the fire including details of the affected persons and the reasons for failure to contain systematic fires in the informal sector. Mr Milemba also wants the government to outline any support such as shelter, clothing, food, emergency treatment and counselling that has so far been extended to the survivors in the Kibra fire incident.
He also wants the government to appraise the House on measures being put in place to prevent such occurrences in the informal settlement in future, in terms of safety, community awareness, disaster preparedness response and urban planning
