This archive report was first published on 30 August 2021.
Published on August 30, 2021, a group of over 900 traders at Gikomba market in Nairobi have taken the county government to court over Sh20 billion in compensation for losses incurred due to frequent fires.
The traders, who have been operating at the market since 2015, claim that the county government has failed to take adequate precautions to prevent fires, resulting in 15 incidents since 2015.
One of the most devastating incidents occurred on June 28, 2018, when a fire claimed the lives of 15 people and left hundreds injured.
The traders, through their lawyer Adrian Kamotho, have accused the county government of negligence and failing to put in place a suitable continuity plan to sustain the business environment at the market.
They are also pushing the court to compel the county government to establish a fully equipped fire station in the market within 60 days to help combat future fire accidents.
President Uhuru Kenyatta had previously promised stern action against those found culpable in the fires, but investigations ordered in 2017 have not provided answers to the numerous fire outbreaks.
