Kenya is where AFM was born. In 2012, Dave & Nancy Moore went on a short-term mission trip and discovered that the city of Nairobi had 2 fire trucks for 5 million people. Dave was then led to do something about that and formed AFM. In Kenya, we have been trying out different teaching models and curriculum as well as models for developing volunteer fire departments across the country.
There are moments in a firefighter’s life when the work becomes more than a profession; it becomes a calling lived forward. AFM Team Member Selena Ruth Smith’s second mission trip to Kenya with Africa Fire Mission was one of those moments.
The 2026 internship has concluded, but its story is still being written, through every lesson shared, every drill conducted and every community made safer. Read more about the 2026 Fire Prevention Internship!
In January 2026, Africa Fire Mission continued its partnership with Fire Aid through a follow-up training mission in Wajir County, Kenya, demonstrating what long-term, sustainable capacity building can look like in action.
Cyrus Kalemungorok writes about his experience and the successes of the West Pocket County Fire and Rescue Department.
We would like to recognize the different award winners from this year’s symposium to highlight the ever-growing fire service in Africa and the determination of first responders in Kenya and beyond.
In November, the AFM team travelled to Mombasa, Kenya, for this year’s annual EMS & Fire Symposium and Competition. During this week long event, over five hundred participants from Kenya and neighboring countries gathered for hands-on training, fellowship, and first responder competitions.
“The 2025 Fire and EMS Symposium at Bandari Academy in Mombasa provided an excellent platform for counties across Kenya to strengthen their emergency response capacity. As an instructor in the leadership class, I witnessed the dedication of Kenya’s firefighters and paramedics first-hand and saw the critical need for strong, ethical, and modern leadership within the sector.”
Suleiman Adan Issack, Chief Fire Officer of Mandera County, writes about his experience at the 2025 Kenya Symposium
