Property of unknown value was destroyed on Sunday evening after a fire razed part of Mamboleo Market in Kisumu, near the city's bus stage.
The fire started at a food joint in the lakeside city and quickly spread to nearby structures, mostly made of aluminum.
The raging flames, which ignited shortly after 9 p.m., threatened to engulf other investments near the Kisumu County bus park.
However, business occupants, with assistance from local authorities, managed to contain the fire before it spread further.
There were widespread fears that the fire could have destroyed a larger section of businesses in the area. This happened even as the cause of the inferno remained unknown.
Images and videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed locals fleeing the premises while calling for help from the bystanders and the county emergency department.
The fire also posed a significant risk to critical establishments such as supermarkets and buses parked just meters away.
As of the time of publishing this story, neither the Kisumu County Government nor the police had issued a statement regarding the incident.
The incident mirrors a 2020 fire in the county where a suspicious blaze gutted part of the Finance and Economic Planning offices.
This prompted widespread condemnation from the local contractors who were owed over Ksh2 billion by the County Government of Kisumu. They later stormed the county offices demanding clarity on the matter.
However, Kisumu County Deputy Governor Mathews Owili downplayed the accusations, maintaining that it was just a normal accident that had no relation to the payments.
