A massive fire on Thursday night destroyed property worth millions of shillings at Katani Villas, a gated community located in Syokimau.
The inferno, which broke out at approximately 7:30 p.m., quickly spread through several houses, sending panicked residents scrambling to evacuate.
Eyewitnesses reported that strong winds and the close proximity of the homes accelerated the spread of the flames, making it difficult to contain.
Firefighters from both Machakos and Nairobi counties responded swiftly to distress calls, arriving at the scene with multiple engines.
They battled the blaze for several hours before finally bringing it under control in the early hours of Friday morning.
Despite their efforts, several units were completely razed, leaving families displaced and counting heavy losses.
Emergency services assisted in evacuating residents and securing the area. Some families sought temporary shelter with neighbors and relatives, while others spent the night in the open as they awaited further assistance.
Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities were reported in the incident.
Preliminary assessments suggest that the damage runs into tens of millions of shillings.
Authorities have launched investigations to establish the cause of the fire, with early speculation pointing to a possible electrical fault in one of the affected homes.
Local leaders have called for improved emergency response infrastructure in residential estates and urged estate managements to review their fire safety measures to prevent similar disasters in the future.
