Popular Kenyan songstress, Esther Akoth alias Akothee took to her social media on Wednesday, January 2025, to reveal how she narrowly escaped death in a building fire.
In her revelation, she said she had been in a building located in Nairobi’s upmarket Westlands area when she and her team were suddenly alerted of a smoky situation getting out of hand in the building where they were in.
“After having lunch with my kids and my COO, Mr. Lamek, in Westlands , we decided to visit the third floor of a building where I was supposed to start rehearsals the following day. As we were wrapping up, someone suddenly pushed the door open and shouted ‘Get out! Get out! We are not safe!’ Confused, we rushed out, only to encounter thick fumes filling the escape stairs. The smoke was dense and dark, and there was no other visible exit.
At first, I remained calm, thinking we could make it down the stairs. However, as we tried, the fumes grew stronger, and we began coughing uncontrollably. Then came the chilling warning: ‘Avoid the stairs!’ If we couldn’t use the stairs, what were we supposed to do? Panic started setting in as we ran back and forth, searching for an alternative route. Outside, a crowd stood, phones in hand, recording us as we struggled. Holding onto my brother’s hand, I prepared myself for the worst. I was certain we wouldn’t survive,” began Akothee.
She went on to reveal that she spotted a popular Nairobi-based photographer to whom she threw her car keys in order to have him deliver her vehicle to her children back at home.
“Just when all seemed lost, help arrived. A ladder was brought, and we were directed to make our way to the second floor. Climbing down to the second floor, breathing became heavier with each step. With urgency, we got onto the ladder and escaped the deadly fumes. As I descended, I could still see people recording the scene, oblivious to our fear and despair. It wasn’t until I got home that the full weight of the ordeal hit me. I broke down in tears, overwhelmed by the thought of what my children’s lives & those who depend on me would have been like in my absence. God, if time comes for me to rest, don’t let me panic ,let me sleep in peace without a struggle,” concluded Akothee.
In the event there is a fire in a building you are located in, one must quickly take the following steps to get to safety:
- They should stay calm and assess the situation.
- One must activate the fire alarm to warn others in the building instead of rushing from room to room.
- One must evacuate immediately through the nearest exit, must not use elevators and always take the stairs. One must stay low to the ground to avoid inhaling smoke.
- One must check the doors before opening. Feel the door with your hand. If it is hot, do not open it as there may be a fire raging on the other side.
- One must cover their nose and mouth with a damp cloth to filter out smoke.
- One should assist others where possible including children, the elderly and those with mobility issues.
- One must stay together in a group to ensure everyone evacuates safely.
- One must follow the marked fire exits and evacuation paths provided by the building.
- One must all for help once outside the building to report the fire and seek medical assistance for those in need.
Akothee went on to post a video of the scene outside the building as onlookers milled about.
