Fire guts Gikomba Market

A fire broke out at Nairobi’s Gikomba Market in the early hours of Thursday destroying property worth thousands of shillings.

The 1.00 am fire at Nairobi’s Gikomba Market reduced to ashes stalls, which the owners store their goods.

It was not clear what started the fire.

Witnesses said the fire began in the stalls that were near the Gikomba brigde, bringing down electric poles that helped to fuel the flames.

The light industry area houses over 200 shops that include workshops, hardware stores, furniture and clothes shops. At least 50,000 people drew their source of income from the shops.

The city council fire fighters were quick to respond but had to request the help of the Kenya Army in order to contain the raging fire.

By 11.00 am on Thursday, the firemen were still battling the fire.

Traders could only watch as the flames consumed their goods.

Mr Stephen Karanja, who owned a timber shed, was counting losses running up to Sh 1 million.

His predicament was particularly unlucky as he had only just stocked his shed when tragedy struck.

“I had brought in two lorries full of timber all the way from Murang;a on Tuesday,” said a distraught Karanja.

He put the cost at Sh 700,000.

“I don’t even know where to begin,” he added as he stared at the charred remains of the shed he has run for over 16 years.

Another businessman, Mr Henry Nzioka, said he was at his Dandora home when he got a call from the guard informing him of the fire.

“By the time I got there at 2.30 am, the whole place was in flames.”

He said his business had served him for the past twenty years and was valued at over Sh 50,000.

Police in the area had a hard time controlling the crowd that had gathered at the scene.