Newly built Kangundo Road Fire Station to be officially unveiled soon
City Hall is set to finally unveil the modern Kangundo Road Fire Station, more than 16 months since its construction began.
The construction of the fire station started last year April with the aim of boosting the county government’s emergency response in Eastlands area, once complete.
OFFICIAL LAUNCH
Nairobi County Disaster Management and Coordination chief officer Ann Mwenda said final touches on the fire station are currently being done in preparation for its official launch in due time.
“We are ready to launch the new Kangundo Road fire station. The building is complete and we are just doing some final touches on the ground before we officially open it,” said Mwenda.
In February, City Hall said that the construction works at the fire station was 75 per cent complete. And last month, Governor Mike Sonko toured the fire station promising to unveil it in the course of the year.
Once complete, the fire station will be fully equipped with fire engines, ambulances, borehole for water supply and adequate personnel to run disaster and emergency operations in the Mowlem area and the wider Eastlands region.
“The fire station will also have more than 10 fire engines to boost its performance,” Mwenda said.
NAIROBI FIRE STATIONS
The Kangundo Road fire station, whose construction is being financed by the World Bank together with another ongoing one in Waithaka area, will bring to three the number of fully operational fire stations in the capital city.
Currently, Nairobi County has only two fire stations which are functioning, Khoja fire station along Tom Mboya Street in the Central Business District and another at Industrial Area. The two were built before Kenya got her independence.
The county government also plans to put up at least one fire station in all the 17 constituencies of Nairobi with immediate plans to build one in Kasarani and Dagoretti.
At the same time, the chief officer stated that City Hall is in the process of recruiting more fire fighters to serve the additional fire stations.
At the moment Nairobi has only 120 trained firefighters with 11 set to retire at the end of the year and 13 in 2020.
“Currently the fire department is has less than 150 fire fighters and we want to increase their numbers by recruiting 1, 200 staff inclusive of fire fighters and city inspectorates,” Mwenda said.