New Details Emerge From Morning Gikomba Fire
A trader counting losses has provided previously unreleased details about the Gikomba fire that occurred on the morning of Sunday, May 18, destroying commodities worth millions.
The fire broke out around 3 a.m., destroying multiple kiosks in the footwear section next to Lamu Road in Pumwani, Majengo.
The aftermath of today's early morning inferno at the footwear section of Gikomba Market. The fire, which started at around 3am, wreaked havoc, destroying property of indeterminate value. pic.twitter.com/zZz0vwkL7q
— The Kamukunji Voice (@kamukunjivoice) May 18, 2025
One trader, who was arguably the hardest damaged by the fire, spoke to the media following the incident.
She disclosed that the fire broke out in the storage room, where the majority of their items are housed overnight before being distributed to wholesalers and merchants the following morning.
The worried dealer also attributed the negative impacts of the incident to the fire department’s tardy reaction.
Suleiman, a Gikomba trader, says the fire broke out around 2:00 am, starting from one store. Those nearby attempted to extinguish it but were unsuccessful, prompting them to call the fire brigade for help. A significant amount of valuable property was destroyed. Many traders are… pic.twitter.com/UOpjBd88lw
— The Eastleigh Voice (@Eastleighvoice) May 18, 2025
“I received a call this morning that there was a huge fire where we keep our stock. The fire started at the store, where we hold our goods,” the trader lamented.
“It was razed for a while before firefighters arrived. By the time they came, the fire had already spread to more stalls.”
While declining to estimate the value of the products, the dealer did say that she had lost at least 50 sacks of shoes in the fire.
She added, “I had more than 50 sacks. I cannot exactly approximate the value, but it is a lot of money.”
We sought more information from a well-known shoe retailer in Gikomba, who questioned the timing of such instances.
“In this latest incident, you can see the fire broke out on a Sunday morning when no shoe retailers go to work,” he said.
Another Gikomba fire:
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) May 18, 2025
Fire burns down part of Gikomba market again. Traders say they lost stocks worth millions. Traders blame slow response by the fire brigade#CitizenWeekend pic.twitter.com/7Nze8dajmb
“It can’t happen on a weekday because we are usually up by 3am, looking for shoes for our clients. So it’s suspicious.”
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According to the retailer, no one knows the cause of the fire, but many of the circumstances surrounding infernos in Gikomba hint at arson, possibly due to commercial rivalries.
When asked what steps may be made to mitigate such hazards in the past, the trader suggested that the government invest in additional open spaces in Gikomba.
This is because the booths are so close together, increasing the risk of massive losses in the event of a fire.
Further, the fact that most stalls are made of wood also makes it extremely difficult to contain infernos once they break out.
New Details Emerge From Morning Gikomba Fire
