This archive report was first published on 18 May 2020.
On May 18, 2020, the Madaraka Market in Thika, Kiambu County was temporarily closed after two Covid-19 cases were reported in the area.
The County Trade Executive Committee member, Kigo Njenga, explained that the closure would allow for fumigation and fencing of the market, among other activities.
The two cases involved truck drivers who transported food items from Tanzania and had interacted with locals.
According to Njenga, the drivers had been transporting food items from Tanzania to the market and may have interacted with traders and locals in the larger town of Thika.
He stated that the market would be reopened once it was ensured that everyone would be safe.
The closure came as a surprise to the over 5,000 traders who operate in the market, with those dealing with perishable goods claiming they should have been given more time to clear their stock.
Rehema Ngomi, a 78-year-old tomato seller, expressed concerns about incurring losses during the closure.
"We are counting huge losses. I have been forced to relocate all the items I sell to my house, most of which cannot last for long," she said.
Another trader, Bernard Chege, questioned why people from Tanzania were allowed into the country in the first place.
