Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has rewarded a Nairobi County fire and emergency response team with KSh100,000 after firefighters swiftly contained a fire that broke out at his NEDP party office in Upper Hill.
Sonko expressed gratitude to the firefighters after the team, mobilised by Nairobi County Chief officer Geofrey Mosiria, arrived at the scene and extinguished the blaze before it could cause extensive damage.
“The devil is a liar! Just look at how much God loves us. Imagine, He woke us up!” Sonko said, thanking Mosiria and the entire Nairobi County emergency response team.
“Mosiria, thank you so much and to your entire team from Nairobi County. May God bless you abundantly,” he added.
Mosiria said he received a distress call from Sonko after the former governor’s private office caught fire and immediately contacted the county’s fire emergency response team.
The firefighters responded promptly and managed to put out the fire. Mosiria also accompanied the team to the scene to assess the situation and support the emergency operation.
He confirmed that Sonko was safe and urged the public not to panic.
The incident also brought back memories of Sonko’s tenure as Nairobi governor, when he initiated the construction and equipping of several fire stations across the city.
According to Mosiria, Nairobi had only one fire station serving the city centre and its surrounding areas when Sonko took office. During his tenure, fire stations were established in areas including Kangundo Road, Waithaka, Gigiri and Ruaraka, strengthening the city’s emergency response capacity.
Mosiria said the response to the Upper Hill fire demonstrated the importance of investing in functional public systems that continue serving residents beyond individual administrations.
“This is a powerful reminder to all leaders that we should build and put in place systems that continue serving people long after we leave office,” Mosiria said.
He called on other leaders to establish functional and sustainable systems that can continue benefiting the public and, ultimately, everyone, including the leaders who helped put those systems in place.
The Upper Hill incident, he said, offered a practical example of how investments made in public infrastructure can continue saving lives and protecting property years after they are established.
