Traders suffer huge losses in Gikomba fire

Traders are counting millions of losses after a fire gutted a section of Gikomba market on June 21, 2026. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

Hundreds of traders are counting losses worth millions of shillings after an inferno ripped through Gikomba Market in the early hours of Sunday.

According to traders, the fire broke out at around 4 am and quickly engulfed stalls and merchandise as they watched helplessly. The cause of the fire remains unknown.

It is alleged that two people — an elderly man and a woman — lost their lives in the incident. Witnesses said the two died from suffocation caused by heavy smoke.

Speaking to The Standard in the aftermath of the fire, Simon Mwangi, a witness who was with the elderly man, said he succumbed to suffocation as he was unable to evacuate in time. “When I woke up at around 4.20 am for a short call, I saw a huge fire razing stalls on the other side of our house. Smoke was everywhere. I quickly went back to save my roommate, but it was too late. The smoke had filled the house and I found him lying lifeless on his bed. I had to run for my life and call for help,” he said.

Most traders who lost property in the inferno blamed the county government for allegedly taking too long to deploy firefighters.

“You can imagine a fire breaking out and the fire brigade arriving two hours later. What were they expected to contain by then? To make matters worse, one of the fire engines arrived without water and had to return for another vehicle that was fully equipped,” said Johnson Otieno, one of the affected traders.

Traders are counting millions of losses after a fire gutted a section of Gikomba market on June 21, 2026. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

Otieno said traders had previously welcomed the construction of a fire station near the market, believing it would improve emergency response and help contain future fires.

“When people were moved to pave the way for the construction of the new fire station, we felt relieved because we believed our property would be safer in the event of a fire. But what we have witnessed today is difficult to explain. It is now afternoon and the fire has still not been fully contained,” he lamented.

Anne Wairimu, a trader and widow, said fires at the market had become a recurring problem and many traders had lost property over the years without compensation. She noted that many traders depend entirely on their businesses at the market to pay school fees and meet other basic needs.

“I took out a loan to increase my stock, and tomorrow I am expected to make an instalment payment. How will I repay it when I have lost everything?” posed Wairimu.

She urged the county government to engage traders if it intends to relocate them to pave the way for the construction of a modern market.

“Those responsible should simply handle the process better. Give us notice and allow us to find alternatives instead of destroying our property,” she said.