More than 50 high-end cars destroyed in Kilimani garage fire

Witnesses said that the fire started at around 11:30 pm at one of the garages before spreading to the other two.

Firefighters from the Nairobi County Government arrived about an hour later and took nearly five hours to put out the blaze.

Charred and twisted metal shells showed what was previously a busy garage along Muringa Road.

Car owners and mechanics walk through the remains of top-of-the-range vehicles razed by the raging fire on Monday night.

Among the victims is Mike Wayamba, who shows us what remains of his Mercedes GLE.

From a classy vehicle, the Mercedes has been reduced to a shell.

“The car was actually supposed to be ready last week, so this week we were just supposed to do the final test drive to confirm the vehicle is mechanically fit before I take it. The vehicle is valued at around Ksh.3 million, plus the repair costs that I had already paid a down payment on, so it is a huge loss,” Wayamba stated. 

It was a double tragedy for Wayamba, whose Range Rover was also at the garage and was partially destroyed by the fire before mechanics managed to save it.

“I will count it as a loss because I had third-party insurance, so that is a total loss,” Wayamba added.

Garage owners noted that apart from the more than 50 vehicles destroyed by the fire, they also lost spare parts and other valuables worth millions of shillings.

Derrick Nasole, one of the garage owners, revealed that nine of his vehicles were destroyed, with his losses estimated at between Ksh.15 million and Ksh.20 million.

“Mimi kwangu binafsi magari yangu ile imechomeka ni around nine vehicles, na gari iko ya pesa kidogo ni around Ksh.900,000, so naona hasara ni from Ksh.15 million to Ksh.20 million. Enye tulihesabu one by one ni magari karibu 45, alafu kuna wale walikuja asubuhi na breakdown wakachukua wakaenda, so ni more than 50,” Nasole stated.

Witnesses added that the fire broke out at the centre of the three garages before spreading to the others.

The inferno also destroyed part of an apartment next to the garages.

Geoffrey Ochieng, a witness, stated that they tried to put out the fire using fire extinguishers before calling for help.

“We tried with the fire extinguishers tuko nazo, ikakata. Tukapigia 911 lakini walichukua around 50 minutes ku-arrive. Hiyo flame vile ilienda juu ili-affect ile mabati pale juu, lakini ilizimwa na wazima moto,” Ochieng highlighted.

Detectives from Kilimani Police Station are leading investigations into the cause of the fire.