Traders count losses as Gikomba burns, again

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Hundreds of traders count losses as Gikomba burns, again

Wednesday, April 10, 2019 9:29

By BONFACE OTIENO

Hundreds of traders are counting losses after a fire razed down stalls with apparels and shoes at Gikomba market early Wednesday morning.

This comes barely two months after traders lost their properties in another fire at the same market.

The fire is reported to have started at around 4am near the bridge at Line 42.

The fire was still on at around 5:30am, reducing into ashes property worth millions of shillings.

By 6am, teams from the Kenya Red Cross, Fire Brigade and General Service Unit among others had arrived on ground to battle out the fire.

Mr John Waluke, a trader at the market told the Business Daily that fire started in one of the stalls before spreading fast to others.

“This is unacceptable. For how long will continue losing property worth millions of shillings here in Gikomba?” pause Mr Waluke.

Gikomba market, the biggest open-air market in the country, has suffered numerous fires in recent times, which has caught the attention of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

This is the second time in less than two months after traders lost property of unknown value after night flames gutted several stalls on February 7.

Past promises by the government to rein in on the menace have not been successful, even after President Uhuru Kenyatta promised stiff action would be taken against anyone found culpable.

A probe ordered by the President in 2017 is yet to provide conclusive answers and there has been two more fire outbreaks since then.

There have been allegations that land ownership tussles between tenants in county houses, suspected land grabbers and traders have fuelled the perennial fires.

The extent of Wednesday damage is yet to be ascertained.

The county government has said it will immediately conduct investigations into the latest incident.