Nancy Odindo, a TUKO.co.ke journalist, has over four years of experience covering Kenyan politics, news, and features for digital and print media.

Traders at Gikomba Market are grappling with significant losses after a fire broke out at dawn on Sunday, May 18, destroying property worth millions.

The blaze started around 3am near Lamu Road and quickly spread, leaving many traders unable to save their stock ahead of the Monday sales.

One trader described the devastation, saying, “This fire shocked us because we went for stock on Saturday, and we were just preparing stock to start selling on Monday.”

Finch Mwanga, another trader, revealed the scale of the losses, noting that some traders had goods worth over KSh 4 million destroyed.

“A mother of three collapsed here after losing everything. I had stock valued at over KSh 100,000, and it’s all gone,” he said.

Many traders who rely on loans pleaded with the government to construct a fire-resistant market to prevent future fires.

“This is the fourth time our market has been destroyed by fire. We carry heavy loans, have families, and now we don’t know how our children will go to school. Please, government, build us a market that won’t burn down again,” a distressed mother appealed.

The county government’s response was criticised as fire engines arrived late and quickly ran out of water upon arrival.

While some traders suspect the fire was caused by an electrical fault, others remain skeptical about the cause of the blaze.

Meanwhile, Gikomba Market has faced several fire outbreaks in recent months, with the latest incident occurring just a month after the government promised to tackle the issue once and for all.

On March 1 and April 1, traders at Gikomba Market suffered significant losses after nighttime fires engulfed their properties.

The blaze, which started around 3am in the 'Kwa Mbao' area near the fire station, raged for hours. The inferno spread across the entire area, reaching into parts of the nearby bus station.

In other news, six students from Bukhalalire High School in Busia county were hospitalised after a fire broke out in a dormitory housing nearly 200 learners.

Four students were critically injured and initially treated at Khunyangu District Hospital before being transferred to Busia County Referral Hospital for advanced care.

Butula Sub-County Director of Education John Kemei said the school was temporarily closed after consultation with the Board of Management to allow for a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire.

Source: TUKO.co.ke