This archive report was first published on 25 June 2020.
On June 25, a fire ravaged the cereals and 'mitumba' sections of Gikomba Market in Nairobi, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
The blaze, which started at around 3 a.m., was still burning at 6:30 a.m. with its source yet to be determined.
Traders battled the inferno throughout the early hours, but their efforts were ultimately in vain.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Kenya Power confirmed that the fire had affected their mainline, tweeting, 'The mainline has been controlled due to a fire incidence in Gikomba. Power will be restored as soon as possible.'
Unfortunately, this is not the first time Gikomba Market has been hit by a devastating fire. In February, a huge section of the stalls burned down, and last year, the market saw three such incidents, including one in August 2019 that resulted in property worth over Ksh100 million being destroyed.
Even more tragically, in June 2018, at least 15 people lost their lives and over 60 were injured in a night fire at the same market.
Residents of Old Racecourse Estate, Kariokor, were also affected by the power outage, which was implemented by Kenya Power as a precautionary measure.
