Sakaja unveils City Hall fire, rescue plan

Nairobi county has unveiled sweeping reforms to strengthen its firefighting and disaster response systems, shifting from reacting to emergencies to preventing them.

Governor Johnson Sakaja told the Senate’s National Security Committee the county has invested heavily in fire stations, equipment, specialised training and emergency preparedness.

The aim is to improve response to fires, floods and other disasters that have repeatedly struck the capital.

"Our commitment is to strengthen disaster preparedness, emergency response and resilience through robust legislative, policy, institutional and operational frameworks," Sakaja said.

The presentation came as senators assessed whether county governments are adequately prepared to respond to increasingly frequent disasters, including devastating market fires, floods and industrial accidents.

At the centre of Nairobi's reforms is a proposed Disaster and Emergency Management Policy that seeks to replace the traditional emergency response model with one focused on prevention, preparedness and resilience.

"It shifts the county from a reactive emergency response model to a proactive, prevention-based disaster management approach," the report states.

The county is also seeking to establish a permanent Disaster and Emergency Management Fund to ensure emergency operations are financed without relying on ad hoc budget allocations.

Appearing before the committee, Sakaja said Nairobi's fire and rescue services had undergone a major transformation after decades of depending largely on a single fire station in the central business district.

"For a long time, Nairobi depended on one fire station in the city centre. Today, we have built additional fire stations, acquired more fire engines, expanded our workforce and invested heavily in training our personnel to improve emergency response across the city," he said.

The county now operates seven fire stations located on Tom Mboya Street, Enterprise Road, Ruaraka, Gigiri, Waithaka, Kangundo Road and Mukuru Affordable Housing.

Construction of the Gikomba fire station, in an area that has suffered repeated infernos over the years, is now 80 per cent complete.

"With the Gikomba fire station now 80 per cent complete, we are strengthening emergency response in that area as we embark on building a modern Gikomba market, a project that is already underway," Sakaja said.

According to the county, the new stations have significantly improved emergency coverage across Nairobi.

Currently, the county’s response time to fire incidents is about eight minutes.

The governor said the county has also strengthened its human resource capacity through intensive training of emergency personnel.

Nairobi has trained 312 structural firefighters, 57 disaster management officers, 32 urban search and rescue specialists, 20 water rescue officers and 12 hazardous materials responders.

Specialised teams have also received advanced training in emergency dispatch, urban rescue and hazardous materials response.

The county has a workforce of 406 officers serving in Fire and Rescue Services, Disaster Risk Reduction, Emergency Medical Services, Training and Administration.

To sharpen technical skills, four officers have undergone advanced hazardous materials training in South Africa, Slovakia and Switzerland.

Sakaja said improving firefighter safety had also become a priority after years of operating with inadequate protective equipment.

"For many years, our firefighters lacked adequate protective gear despite the risks they face every day. We have now procured modern protective equipment to ensure they can perform their duties safely and effectively," he said.

Despite the progress, the county admitted significant gaps remain.

Although Nairobi operates seven fire engines, five foam tenders, seven rapid intervention vehicles, a 32-metre turntable ladder, 10 ambulances and 250 self-contained breathing apparatus sets, it has only 114 structural firefighting suits for its emergency responders.

"The County continues to prioritize the procurement of additional protective equipment to ensure that all emergency responders are adequately equipped," the report says.

Beyond firefighting, City Hall says preparedness has become a countywide effort.

The county has conducted 58 fire safety drills in public and private institutions, organised 10 school fire safety awareness programmes and participated in a major multi-agency emergency simulation exercise at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

It has also coordinated flood preparedness through collaboration between departments responsible for roads, health, water, planning and climate change, alongside the Kenya Meteorological Department and development partners.

Community awareness has also been expanded through first aid training and public education programmes.

"The sector runs community outreach through first aid training and public awareness," the report states, adding that businesses and communities are being encouraged to integrate disaster risk reduction into urban planning.

To further strengthen capacity, Sakaja announced plans to establish a Fire and Disaster Management Simulation and Training Centre of Excellence on a 20-acre site in Ruai.

The facility will provide internationally benchmarked training, simulation exercises, research and innovation aimed at improving emergency response.

The county also plans joint training with the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority to prepare firefighters for petroleum and liquefied petroleum gas emergencies.

During the 2025-26 financial year, Nairobi spent more than Sh313.2 million on disaster management and firefighting.

The largest allocation, Sh250 million, went towards emergency support following fires, floods and other disasters.

Another Sh26.2 million equipped fire stations, while Sh18 million financed construction of the Gikomba fire station.

Additional funding covered specialised training, vehicle maintenance and firefighting equipment.

Sakaja said the county is also working with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Kenya Red Cross Society, C40 Cities and other partners to strengthen early warning systems and build community resilience.

The Senate committee commended Nairobi's progress but stressed that county efforts alone would not be enough.

Members called for a stronger national disaster management structure to improve coordination between the national and county governments and pledged to push for a more robust disaster response framework.

Despite outlining the gains made, the county acknowledged that more work remains to build a fully disaster-ready capital.

"The County is actively addressing identified gaps through legislative reform, the establishment of Nadema, investment in a Training Centre of Excellence in Ruai, and procurement of critical equipment," the report concludes.