October 26, 2025

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Timely – Precise – Factual

Puzzling as Nairobi CBD Has Only Two Functioning Hydrants For Firefighters

Close-up of yellow fire hydrant gushing water across a street with wet highway and tire from passing car behind

Should there be a fire tragedy in Nairobi city centre, the firefighters would get water from only two fire hydrants.

A fire hydrant.

The city centre has five hydrants but only two are working. The five are located at Globe Cinema, Thika Fox Valley, First Parklands, Muthaiga near Qatar Residence and Valley Road near Department of Defense.

About 4, 500 hydrants were put across the Nairobi County to be saviour of millions of residents in case of fire incident but out of this number, less than 500 are operating.

And still those working cannot discharge water because of low pressure in Nairobi pipes.

This is shocking especially nowadays fires are rampant in Nairobi, destroying livelihoods, properties worth hundreds of millions of shillings and even lives.

A building on fire in Nairobi CBD. [Photo: Courtesy]

Some hydrants like one at Nyota Lane near the Bus Station was buried during construction of a hotel.

The City County government says the wanting emergency preparedness in the CBD relies largely on dry wet risers in some buildings where the fire engines can hook up and get water.