This archive report was first published on 25 June 2020.
On June 25, 2020, a devastating fire swept through the cereals and mitumba sections of Gikomba Market in Nairobi, destroying several structures opposite the Central Organization of Trade Unions (Cotu) offices.
A trader who spoke to Nyakundi Report recalled receiving a call from a colleague at around 3am, informing them of the fire. Upon arrival, they found that everything was engulfed in flames, and the situation was dire.
‘I got a call from my colleague who told me that the market was on fire. Upon arrival I saw that everything was engulfed in fire and there was nothing much we could do. The county fire fighters arrived at around 6am and they are still trying to put the fire out,’ said Mutinda Nzioka, a mitumba trader.
Firefighters worked tirelessly to contain the blaze as business people scavenged through the debris in search of property they could salvage.
Unfortunately, fire incidents have become all too frequent in Gikomba Market in recent years, sometimes resulting in loss of life. Traders have raised concerns about congestion, lack of space for fire trucks, and sometimes a lack of water.
Just a few months prior, in February 2020, a section of the market was ravaged by an early morning fire that destroyed stalls selling shoes and apparel. The cause of that fire was not immediately established.
