Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has pledged to set up a fire station at Gikomba market to help deal with recurrent fires.
He also said he will have the land surveyed and title deeds issued saying land grabbers and speculators are some of those behind the fires.
"Gikomba is public land and we will build a wall around it. It belongs to the people of Nairobi. We will defend it to the end from grabbers," he said.
He spoke on Monday when he toured the market. A section of the expansive market was razed by fire two days ago.
Sakaja donated Sh1 million and 5000 iron sheets to the affected traders.
He took the opportunity to caution traders against making any cash payments for county services and asked them to report those stopping them from using the electronic payment system.
"All traders should pay for county cess and other charges through *647# and must not be coerced not to pay in any other way," he said.
The governor was accompanied by Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan, Deputy County Commissioner James Kamau and Pumwani MCA Paul Petit Ndung’u.
Hassan urged the traders to leave space for the construction of access roads in the market to enable firefighting trucks easily access scenes of fire.
"These regular fires should end and we are asking the governments of President William Ruto and Johnson Sakaja to find a lasting solution," he added.
The area MCA said the county government should station two fire engines in the market even before the construction of the proposed fire station.
He added that the residents of Bondeni and Gorofani estates that border Gikomba should be given priority in the affordable housing programme as they too get affected by the fires.
The traders through their spokesperson asked the government to install CCTVs in the market.
They said this will help them get answers regarding the fires, pointing out that most happen at night and they never get to know the cause.
They also asked Sakaja's administration to drill boreholes and provide fire hydrants.
They further requested for police patrols to discourage arson.
Sakaja said work on the requested borehole and hydrants will start in the course of the week.
"We will put up the perimeter wall as well as boost security using our county security officers as well as CCTV surveillance," he said.
