Traders wake up to Loses in yet another Gikomba Blaze
Gikomba,
Friday, 1 December, 2023.
McCreadie Andias
Businessware worth millions of shillings was early this morning reduced to ashes following a fierce fire that broke out in Section 42 of Majengo's Gikomba Market at around 2am on Friday.
Police and witnesses said the fire engulfed from the section that handles shoes spreading widely.
Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei said no injury had been reported or loss of lives.
Fanuel Juma, Chairman of Gikomba shoe traders said that the estimated loss was still unclear.
"We won't know the exact amount the traders have lost until they count their losses. But i thank the Nairobi County fire service for their quick response in extinguishing the fire." Fanuel said.
Multi agency teams were deployed to the scene to help contain the spread of the fire with its cause yet to be identified.
Gikomba Market, East Africa’s largest open-air market, has experienced unpredictable fires annually with most recent being reported on September 2023 causing loss of goods amounting to Ksh 2 Million.
Fires have also been reported in recent years drawing back to 2015 with other cases in 2018,2020, 2021 and 2022.
For decades, Gikomba market has been a source of income for many including food vendors, second-hand clothes traders, carpenters, business people, and many more.
Governor Sakaja had recently announced plans to construct a fire station in the markets amidst speculations of land grabbing in the area.
Sakaja said that the land belongs to the people of Nairobi and it will be protected from grabbers.
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