NAIROBI, Kenya — Just six weeks after an inferno scorched more than 500 stalls in the ‘Kwa Mbao’ section, Gikomba, another fire broke out early Sunday morning, this time engulfing the footwear section near Lamu Road in Majengo, Pumwani.
The fire, which ignited around 3 a.m., was eventually contained by Nairobi County firefighters with help from local volunteers.
So far, no injuries or fatalities have been reported. But for many traders, that’s cold comfort when they’re once again watching their livelihoods go up in smoke.
Same Market, Same Flames, Different Day
Sunday’s fire marks yet another entry in Gikomba’s long history of destruction.
Back on April 1, a similar blaze broke out at nearly the same time—3 a.m.—razing hundreds of stalls and even threatening a nearby bus station. The cause was suspected to be an electrical fault.
Gikomba isn’t new to disaster. Fires have battered the market nearly every year, with major incidents recorded in 2015, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, and multiple times in 2024 alone.
A particularly tragic event in June 2018 left at least 15 dead and over 60 injured, while an April 2019 fire destroyed more than 2,000 structures.
These aren’t isolated cases—they’re part of a pattern. Gikomba seems caught in a loop of destruction, with no real safeguards in place to break the cycle.
Promises Made, Progress Delayed
After the April fire, the Nairobi County Government announced a Sh59.98 million contract to build a fire station within Gikomba. But on the ground? Still nothing. No station. No updates. Just more flames.
Despite repeated government statements and budget allocations, basic fire safety infrastructure is still missing. Meanwhile, traders are left with burnt stock, ashes, and rising debt.
Can Gikomba Catch a Break?
It’s one thing for a market to face a tragedy. It’s another to face the same tragedy year after year without any meaningful change.
The frequency of these fires, their similarity in timing and location, and the lack of prevention measures have led some to speculate whether something more sinister is at play—though no evidence has ever confirmed foul play.
What is certain: Gikomba needs urgent intervention, not more empty promises. Whether it’s a fire station, modern market planning, or actual fire prevention training for traders, something has to give before everything else does.
