It has become a normal that no month passes by without cases of fire outbreaks being reported or witnessed..Many lives have been lost and properties worth millions of shillings being reduced to ashes as a result of fire tragedies..Various elements and reasons contribute to this.
A number of people use stoves for cooking and some end up exploding as a result of insufficient air supply leading to fire outbreaks.
The 10 by 10 rooms in kibera are divided by sheets so as to create a small area for the bed,sitting room and a space for cooking.The division of the room by the sheets is locally referred to as’ Berlin walls’.
A lighting candle resting on a table just next to the (‘Berlin wall’ ) sheet, is slowly blown by the wind,the flame getting in contact with the sheets leads to a another serious blaze.The fires have also been as a result of carelessness by some parents and guardian ,going out and leaving the candles on,just next to small kids who play around and later attach them to highly inflammable materials,leading to fires.
The other major cause is the electricity.The (KPLC) kenya power and lighting company electricity poles seems few in kibera and its strange that almost every house in kibera is supplied with electricity.How and by Who?
As you walk around different corners of kibera ,you will notice a network of wires criss crosing each other above the roof tops,on the walls and underneath the ground.
Cases of illegal power connections and vandalism have been reported in all parts of kenya,kibera not excluded!The efforts by kplc to end this illegal undertakings bears little fruits,because they can’t access some parts of kibera due to rebbelious groups who benefit from the illegal business.
A number of people and some landlords have the guts to mess with electricity meter systems,so as to read low.It is then that power is supplied to hundreds of houses and business premises.
The tenants and businesmen are only supplied with live wires.They have to improvise the other wire by either digging and burrying underground or tying on the iron sheets.You already have electricity connection! This business earns the lanlords an extra kshs 400 per month per house.
This is deadly and risky.The consuption of electricity is higher and this tends to overpower the transformers leading to explosions of transformers that lead to fire outbreaks.
Most fire outbreaks cases are as a result of electricity faults due to illegal connections.
What do we learn from the loses of our loved ones through electricity related fires?
Is kshs 400,for illegal power connections worth the lose of our properties worth hundreds of thousands that have been invested over the years?