Firefighters put out a blaze at Toi market in Kibra constituency on March 12, 2019 /EZEKIEL AMING’A
After losing goods worth millions to fire amid worsening security and sanitation, Kibra's Toi Market traders now face a new threat—division from within.
The wrangles are stalling long-promised upgrades meant to protect their livelihoods and secure their future.
At the sprawling famous open-air market, scars from last year's fire are still conspicuous, a reminder it is a matter of when, not if the traders will lose their goods again to fire.
The soot and ashes tell a familiar story—traders left with nothing but charred remains, picking through rubble, praying for help that never seems to come.
Now, even as City Hall allocates funds to build a perimeter wall and modernise the market, bitter divisions among traders are threatening to derail the entire plan as it has undermined public participation for the project, a key paradigm in public projects.
The traders are wrangling over the boundaries of the market and how the spaces will be divided once the modern facility is established. Suspicion and lack of trust has pit one group against another.
“We are tired of watching our livelihoods go up in smoke. But we demand that we must be assured of fairness and that one group, especially tribe will not be favoured over another,” OA said. The long time trader at the market declined to be named given the emotive issues at hand.
“But we are also tired of waiting for solutions that never come because we can’t agree.”
Toi Market supports the livelihoods of more than 5,000 traders. It's also a vital source of affordable goods for thousands of low-income residents. But its survival hangs in the balance.
Repeated fires—November 2021, June 2023, and most recently in August 2024—have left trails of devastation. While the latest blaze was blamed on an electrical fault, many believe something sinister is at play.
“There’s talk that these fires are a tactic,” Wanjiru, another trader, said.
“They want us to give up so they can take the land.”
Wanjiru has been selling household goods at the market for over a decade.
Toi sits on a four-acre plot increasingly viewed as prime real estate.
Over the years, allegations of land grabbing attempts have dogged the space. Experts who understand the political and economic interests at play say internal wrangles among traders may be more than just disagreements—they may be stirred deliberately to stall progress.
“It’s no secret that some powerful individuals want this land,” Omondi Kech said.
“When traders fight each other, it makes it easier for outsiders to move in.”
The Nairobi county government had earmarked Sh100 million in the 2023-24 budget to construct a perimeter wall and start Toi’s redevelopment. The national government later pledged an additional Sh500 million to upgrade the market into a modern facility. But the plans stalled after traders failed to agree during initial public participation.
Now, the traders are calling on Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration to restart the public engagement process, this time with better coordination and transparency.
“We want the perimeter wall and a fire station now,” trader Betty said.
“We can’t afford to lose more. Not because of fire. Not because of politics. Not because of each other.”
Traders say that during the first attempt at public consultation, disputes over demarcation and allocation of space turned toxic.
Camps formed, accusations flew, and a process meant to unify the community instead deepened mistrust. Some say the disagreements have taken an ethnic angle, threatening the delicate fabric that holds the market together.
“What we need is to speak with one voice,” he said.
“This market feeds thousands of families. We can't let it be torn apart from the inside.”
Toi Market has long symbolised the resilience of Nairobi’s informal sector—surviving political transitions, economic downturns and even forced evictions. But traders warn that without immediate intervention, what’s left of that resilience may crumble under pressure.
They are calling for a fresh start: an inclusive, honest dialogue, a clear plan from City Hall, and swift action to protect their space from flames and land speculators.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
Toi Market’s crisis reveals how internal division can be just as destructive as external threats. Without unity and urgent action, a lifeline for thousands risks disappearing—one fire, one disagreement, one delay at a time.
