Residents salvage items from burning properties in Malindi town, Kilifi County on Monday, May 25, 2026 where fire gutted down more than 12 executive villas and other property occasioning owners losses running into millions o shillings. Photo by Ben Okweingoti. 
By Ben Okweingoti
Villa owners in Malindi are counting losses worth millions of shillings after a devastating fire razed at least 12 executive villas along the Casino beachline in the early hours of Monday morning.
The inferno, which spread rapidly due to strong winds from the Indian Ocean, left several properties reduced to ashes as residents and workers accused the Malindi Municipality fire brigade of delayed response and inaction during the incident.
According to Samuel Kaduka, an employee at one of the affected villas, the fire broke out at around 3 a.m. after flames from burning garbage on a neighbouring beach plot allegedly spread uncontrollably.
Kaduka claimed that individuals who had allegedly grabbed the adjacent plot were burning waste when the situation got out of hand due to the strong ocean winds.
“I take care of a plot around the beach and there were some people who grabbed a nearby plot and they were burning garbage at around 3 a.m., but they failed to control the fire because of the strong winds from the ocean, which caused it to spread to other properties,” he said.
He called for investigations into both the alleged land grabbers and the response by the local fire department.
“We demand action from the Malindi fire brigade and also action against those who started the fire,” he added.
Kaduka further alleged that firefighters arrived at the scene while the blaze was still manageable but failed to act promptly.
Another employee, Brenda Kombe, said the tragedy had left her jobless after her employer’s villa was completely destroyed.
“I was away when I received a call from an employee of another villa. When I rushed here, I found the house had just started burning and firefighters were just there watching with their fire engine,” she said.
Kombe criticized the firefighters for what she termed as a slow response, claiming they only began spraying water after the villas had already been destroyed.
“Many times houses burn in Malindi, but the firefighters take too long to respond. I am now jobless because the house I take care of has been reduced to ashes,” she lamented.
No casualties were immediately reported, while authorities had not yet issued an official statement on the cause of the fire or the allegations raised by residents at the time of publishing.
