Traders at Suq Mugdi Market in Garissa County were left counting losses on Monday after a fire razed a large section of the busy marketplace.
Property of unknown value was destroyed in the blaze, whose cause had not been established by the time of publishing. Suq Mugdi serves as the county’s main market and a key commercial hub in the region.
Images and videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed thick plumes of smoke and large balls of fire billowing from the heart of Garissa Town, where the market is located.
Locals and eyewitnesses blamed the county government for a slow emergency response, which they said allowed the fire to spread and cause extensive damage.
Locals’ efforts to put out the fire using water bowsers and buckets proved futile as the blaze continued to spread rapidly through the market structures.
Although a fire truck from the county government arrived moments later, little could be salvaged, as the market—largely built with aluminium sheets—had already been extensively gutted.
As of the time of publication, the Garissa County Government had not issued an official statement regarding the incident. Additionally, the cause of the fire remained unknown, even as traders demanded an investigation into the incident that had sparked fury among the business community.
Notably, in May 2023, traders at Suq Mugdi Market had expressed frustration with the county government after bulldozers demolished their stalls in a move aimed at creating access paths within the market. The traders lamented that no alternative spaces had been provided for them to conduct business.
The incident comes less than a day after property of unknown value was destroyed following a fire that gutted Marikiti Market in Kisii on Sunday morning.
The blaze, which broke out shortly after 2am, reduced stalls and shops within the market—located in the heart of Kisii’s Central Business District (CBD)—to ashes, leaving many traders counting heavy losses.
Residents’ attempts to put out the blaze proved futile, as efforts to douse the flames using water buckets bore no fruit. The situation was worsened by the market's construction, which largely consisted of aluminium structures that quickly caught and spread the fire.
Nearby businesses, including car parks, were forced to take drastic measures, resorting to forcibly pushing vehicles away to prevent them from being consumed by the raging blaze.
