For more than 200 mechanics off Ole Dume Road, Tuesday morning felt like waking up to a nightmare,a garage that was full of engines, laughter and customers on Monday had become a field of ash.
More than 50 vehicles, some belonging to customers waiting for repair, others owned by the mechanics themselves, were burnt to shells in a midnight inferno.
The fire broke out around 10 p.m. on Monday,Within minutes, petrol cans, oil drums and tyres turned the yard into a furnace. Residents said they heard loud bursts as fuel tanks caught fire.
Nairobi County firefighters battled for over four hours, struggling to contain the blaze because of the highly flammable materials stored inside.
No one died, police confirmed, but the economic wound is deep.
Spanners, diagnostic machines, spare parts tools bought over years are gone. Car owners who left vehicles for servicing returned to find nothing salvageable.
County official Geoffrey Mosiria said the losses run into millions and promised investigations into the cause.
For now, the mechanics sit on burnt stools beside their former workplace, sharing stories, making calls to clients, and asking a painful question like how do you restart when everything you built has turned to smoke?
