Declare Gikomba a disaster! MP pleads as fire razes market again

Kamkunji MP Yussuf Hassan has called on President William Ruto to declare Gikomba market a disaster area.

This is after fire razed down part of the market early Saturday morning, destroying property worth millions.

“Another fire in Gikomba, another day of utter devastation, destruction and despair for the traders and residents.I'm appealing to Ruto and Governor Johnson Sakaja to declare Gikomba a disaster area," Hassan said.

The fire has ravaged Gashosho and Dry Fish markets and gutted blocks of Gorofani and Bondeni estates

Despite the destruction, firefighters from Nairobi County put out the fire after a 'battle'.

The fire has ravaged Gashosho and Dry Fish markets and gutted blocks of Gorofani and Bondeni estates. Thousands of traders have suffered incalculable losses.

According to the Kenya Redcross, the fire started near the  Dispensary at Gashosho area at around 1 am.

MP Hassan has also pleaded with the President to set up a special fire fund, and provide urgent assistance to the victims of the fire.

"They need help to rebuild and restock and get back on their feet again," he added.

Gikomba Market, East Africa’s largest open-air market, has experienced unpredictable fires annually.

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.

However, for many years, they have constantly been in tears, and encountered losses as fire mocked their success by razing down the market.

Gikomba has had its annual fires in the past years 2015, 2018, 2020 and 2021.

Last year on November 28, 2021, as  Nairobi was experiencing heavy rainfall, traders were once again crying in pain as commodities of unknown value were destroyed in another mysterious fire.

This was the second time that month and the fifth in 2021 that the traders were counting millions of shillings in losses after fire razed their commodities.

In February 2021, a mysterious fire visited the open-air market and another one in August.

On April 10, 2019, more than 2,000 structures were razed down as a section of the market was gutted by fire.

In 2018, the market experienced three fire cases. In June, 15 people died and at least 60 injured when a section of the market dealing in timber and clothes was burnt.

The same year in October, another fire was experienced in the market.

In 2017, Gikomba market caught fire twice on October 6 and September 10.

In 2015, fire also broke out twice in the market in the months of May and June.

Gikomba market at a cost of Sh3 billion to end all the fire incidences.