MP Yusuf Hassan donates food, blankets to victims of three Kamukunji fire incidents
MP Yusuf Hassan assured the victims that assistance would not end with the initial distribution of food and blankets. He said his office was in touch with the National Government to secure more support for the families who lost their homes.
Kamukunji Member of Parliament Yusuf Hassan has donated foodstuffs and blankets to residents affected by three separate fire incidents that occurred within the constituency this week.
The initiative came as dozens of families were left without homes and belongings following a series of blazes that hit Shauri Moyo, Pumwani, and Eastleigh South Ward.
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The first incident took place on Wednesday morning in the Pamela area, Shauri Moyo, where a fire displaced 130 people. The same evening, another blaze erupted in the Rokongo area, Pumwani, destroying the possessions of 11 residents. In a third case, 25 people were affected after a fire swept through the Sewage area in Eastleigh South Ward on Thursday night.
Speaking during the relief exercise, Yusuf assured the victims that assistance would not end with the initial distribution of food and blankets. He said his office was in touch with the National Government to secure more support for the families who lost their homes.
Some of the blankets donated by Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan to fire victims during the relief distribution. (Photo: Abdirahman Khalif)
The MP urged the affected residents, especially those with children in secondary schools and tertiary institutions, to register with his office so that they could be considered for bursaries to cover school fees.
“You will provide us with your Identification Cards, if they were not destroyed in the fire,” he said. “If your IDs were burnt, we will help you replace them since there is a registration office here. My office will continue to work for the people of Kamukunji and ensure that residents have access to the services and amenities they need.”
Victims of the fires said the donations provided much-needed relief at a time when they were struggling to adjust to the sudden losses. Some explained that they had been left with nothing as the flames consumed all their belongings.
Martin Luyakha, a resident of Shauri Moyo who lost his home in Wednesday’s fire, said the relief food had given him hope as he struggled to take care of his four children.
“I lost everything, I was only left with the clothes I am wearing. This will boost me, and hopefully, more donations will come from well-wishers,” he said.
He added that the opportunity to replace burnt identification documents free of charge was also a relief since his ID, his wife’s ID, and several other certificates had been destroyed.
Beneficiaries leave with relief supplies after the distribution exercise led by Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan. (Photo: Abdirahman Khalif)
In Rokongo, Pumwani, fire victim Sami Lengai narrated how he was away when the fire started and returned to find that everything he owned had been destroyed.
“I salvaged nothing; the food will sustain my family for the coming days as I try to stabilise after the fire consumed my home,” he explained.
The repeated fire outbreaks have raised concerns among residents of Kamukunji Constituency, who have accused Nairobi City County of failing to provide timely firefighting services. Many say that fire engines either arrive late or fail to show up, worsening the destruction.
Although Kamukunji Constituency has a firefighting station located at Gikomba, residents noted that the facility has not yet been made operational.
The absence of a functioning fire station has left the community vulnerable as incidents of fire continue to rise.
The MP pledged to continue lobbying for the activation of the Gikomba fire station and for stronger disaster response measures to protect residents from further losses.
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