Traders count losses after fire rips through Gikomba market

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Traders at Nairobi's sprawling Gikomba Market are counting heavy losses after a fire swept through sections of the market in the early hours of Sunday, destroying businesses, merchandise and livelihoods.

The blaze, which broke out at around 4:00 a.m., quickly spread through several business premises, reducing stalls and goods worth millions of shillings to ashes before emergency teams arrived to contain the inferno.

In a statement, the Kenya Red Cross confirmed the incident and said response efforts were ongoing.

"A major fire has been reported at Gikomba Market, affecting several business premises. The fire is believed to have started at around 4:00 a.m. and has caused significant damage, with response efforts ongoing," the agency said.

Red Cross added that it had deployed emergency teams to the scene and was working alongside a multi-agency response unit to contain the fire and assess the needs of affected traders.

Videos and photographs shared on social media showed towering flames and thick  black smoke rising above the market, with firefighters struggling to bring the blaze under control as traders watched helplessly from a distance.

There was a major traffic disruption along Landhies Road, Kamukunji, Majengo and surrounding roads.

The latest fire adds to a long history of devastating blazes at Gikomba, one of East Africa's largest open-air markets.

Over the years, repeated fires have destroyed property worth millions of shillings, leaving traders to rebuild their businesses from scratch.

Previous incidents have sparked concerns over fire safety standards, electrical connections and emergency preparedness within the densely populated trading hub.

By Sunday morning, many traders had begun assessing the extent of the damage, with some  expressing fears that they had lost their entire stock.

Residents and visitors in neighbouring areas were advised to prioritize their safety and follow instructions issued by emergency personnel as authorities commenced investigations into the cause of the fire.

The full extent of the losses and the number of affected traders has not been established.