A massive fire broke out around 4
a.m. at Gikomba Market, East Africa's largest informal hub for second-hand
clothes, shoes, and fish, destroying stalls and goods worth millions of
shillings before emergency teams contained it.
No casualties were reported, but
this follows similar blazes in February 2026 and May 2025, with causes like
electrical faults and overcrowding cited in the past.
Amid a KSh 3-5 billion
redevelopment project and trader protests, voices like former Law Society
president Faith Odhiambo call for compensation, probes, and safety upgrades,
noting no family should rebuild from ashes repeatedly.