No more market fires as Sh5bn modern Gikomba complex rises

Gikomba market under construction /EZEKIEL AMING'A

Under the scorching afternoon sun at Kamukunji Grounds, Jane Wanjiku stands behind neatly arranged piles of second-hand clothes, her voice rising above the noise of bargaining customers.

“Kamera! Kamera! Mia mbili! Mia mbili!” she shouts, advertising dresses selling for Sh200 as shoppers sift through the garments in search of bargains.

For Wanjiku, this is more than just a business. It is a lifeline.

The 52-year-old widow has spent the last 22 years trading at the Gikomba market, Nairobi's sprawling hub known for its vibrant second-hand clothing trade.

Through the business, she has raised her children single-handedly, paid school fees and built a life.

“Gikomba is my everything,” she says, pausing briefly to attend to a customer.

“When my husband died, I had to find a way to take care of my children. This business gave me that opportunity.”

Today, one of her children is a lawyer while another is a university graduate — achievements she proudly attributes to the market that has sustained her family for more than two decades.

But Wanjiku is among 14,400 traders who have recently been relocated from the old Gikomba market along the Nairobi River to pave the way for the construction of a modern market complex.

While the move has disrupted business, she believes the sacrifice will be worth it.

For years, Gikomba traders have lived with the constant fear of losing everything to devastating fires that have repeatedly swept through the market.

“It has always been a struggle,” she says. “One day you are making sales, the next day you are running to save your stock from a fire.”

The memories remain painful.

At one point, she lost her entire investment when flames consumed her stall, reducing thousands of shillings worth of merchandise to ashes within minutes.

“There is nothing as painful as watching everything you have worked for burn before your eyes,” she recalls.

Besides fires, traders have also endured frequent confrontations with government agencies over environmental concerns linked to the market's location along the Nairobi River.

“The market is next to the river. Sometimes we would have issues with Nema, other times county enforcement officers or water authorities. It felt like we were always fighting one battle or another,” she says.

That is why the prospect of moving into a modern market brings hope.

“I am happy because we will not have fires in the new market. It will be orderly and organised. We will no longer be fighting county officers or environmental agencies,” she says with a smile.

Wanjiku currently operates from Kamukunji Grounds, which accommodates about 7,000 traders displaced by the redevelopment project.

Another group of traders is expected to move to a temporary site near the Kenya Meat Commission.

The relocation is part of an ambitious Sh5 billion project being jointly implemented by the national government and Nairobi county government to transform Gikomba into a modern trading centre.

The market forms part of a broader cooperation agreement between the two levels of government aimed at investing about Sh80 billion in infrastructure and urban renewal projects across Nairobi.

Beyond addressing perennial fires, the project seeks to restore order, improve working conditions and support efforts to rehabilitate the heavily polluted Nairobi River.

“Gikomba is not just a market. It is one of the biggest economic engines in Nairobi,” says Gikomba Market Traders Association chairman Mbugua Kibathi.

“About 10 to 15 per cent of the county's GDP is generated in Gikomba. Gikomba is one of the biggest wheels that keeps this city moving.”

The construction of the market will be undertaken in four phases.

The first phase, currently under construction, is expected to cost about Sh800 million and accommodate about 7,000 traders. It is scheduled for completion by January next year.

A visit to the site reveals a hive of activity. Workers are busy carrying out excavation works, erecting pillars and laying heavy steel structures in preparation for the construction of the main building.

“The excavation has taken time because the site is next to a river and we have experienced heavy rains,” Kibathi explains. “The contractors are taking their time to ensure the structure is safe and durable.”

The project is being supervised by the Kenya Defence Forces.

Once complete, the first phase will consist of a multi-level structure with a sub-basement, basement and several upper floors designed to accommodate traders in a safer and more organised environment.

The facility will feature secure trading stalls, cold rooms for traders dealing in perishable goods, modern sanitation facilities, ICT hubs, basement parking and even a day-care centre to support working parents.

The remaining three phases, estimated to cost about Sh3.8 billion, will accommodate thousands more traders.

The second phase is expected to host 3,000 traders, while subsequent phases will create additional space for more than 3,000 others.

For many traders, the development represents a long-awaited solution to problems that have plagued Gikomba for decades.

“When all these phases are complete, there will be no mud, no chaos and no endless fires,” Kibathi says. “This is the beginning of a new chapter for Gikomba.”

He dismisses concerns that traders relocated from the old market may lose their spaces once the project is completed.

“All traders have been enumerated and registered,” he says. “Those who were operating in the old market will be given priority. Nobody from outside will get a stall before the original traders.”

Kibathi further says traders will not be required to pay rent for the stalls, although discussions are ongoing with Nairobi County regarding licensing fees.

“We want a system that is fair and affordable. Our goal is to agree on an annual licensing arrangement instead of the current frequent collections that burden traders,” he says.

INSTANT ANALYSIS

The story highlights the resilience and optimism of Gikomba traders as they transition from a market long plagued by fires, poor infrastructure and environmental disputes to a planned modern trading complex. Through the experiences of trader Jane Wanjiku, it humanises the impact of the redevelopment project on thousands of livelihoods. The article also underscores Gikomba’s critical role in Nairobi’s economy while presenting the Sh5 billion redevelopment as a solution to longstanding challenges, promising safer, organised and more dignified working conditions for traders.