Passaris mourns 6-year-old killed in Mathare blaze, pushes for safety awareness
By Faith Lagat, December 12, 2025Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris has mourned the death of a six-year-old child following a fierce fire that swept through Mlango Kubwa in Mathare, destroying homes and displacing dozens of families on Wednesday, December 11, 2025.
Passaris, who is in Uganda representing Kenya at the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Games, conveyed her condolences after receiving news of the tragedy.
“My heartfelt condolences go to the family of the innocent 6-year-old who succumbed to the fire disaster, and to all families affected by this tragedy. May God grant you strength and comfort during this difficult time,” Passaris wrote on X on December 11, 2025.
She noted that her office immediately coordinated with the Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku to visit the affected area and support ongoing emergency operations. “A fire tragedy has struck Mlango Kubwa in Mathare Constituency, destroying homes and displacing families. While I am representing Kenya at the EALA Games in Uganda, my office accompanied CS @gk_ruku to assess and assist the affected families. While attending to this disaster, I also learnt of another fire in Embakasi Village,” she posted.
Renewed calls for fire safety
Passaris used the tragedy to reinvigorate her advocacy for enhanced fire-prevention awareness, especially in informal settlements where tight spaces, flammable materials and illegal power connections heighten the risk of rapid spread.
“Civic education on fire prevention remains key, especially in informal settlements where risks are higher. The swift response of the Nairobi Fire Department is crucial in saving lives and protecting property during such emergencies,” she stressed.
Emergency responders
The afternoon blaze quickly tore through congested structures in the informal settlement, sending thick smoke over the area as residents struggled to save belongings.
Video footage from the scene showed flames ripping through corrugated iron houses as desperate residents formed human chains to pass buckets of water while awaiting the fire brigade.
The Kenya Red Cross Nairobi Branch confirmed it had mobilised emergency teams to support affected households. “Incident Alert: A fire outbreak has been reported at the Mlango Kubwa area in Mathare, Nairobi County. The Nairobi Fire Brigade is currently on site, and efforts to extinguish the fire are underway. More updates to follow,” the agency reported.
Private security firm Securex Agencies Ltd said police and county fire crews were working to contain the inferno, urging motorists and pedestrians to keep off the area to facilitate emergency operations.
Investigations into the cause of the Mlango Kubwa fire are ongoing.