Nairobi County has unveiled a comprehensive plan to end the frequent fire outbreaks that have plagued Gikomba Market for decades, leaving traders counting heavy losses year after year.
On Tuesday, the county announced that it had completed the construction of a new seven-storey market complex at Quarry Road, designed to host more than 1,700 traders in organised and secure spaces.
According to Governor Johnson Sakaja, traders will now be able to trade under an organised single market space structure that will be used to ease congestion and unsafe structures that have long been linked to frequent fires.
The move, according to City Hall, is part of its strategy to modernise markets and improve safety for small-scale traders.
Under the new design, the Gikomba Market will now feature basement parking, a day-care centre, a youth centre, cold rooms, and hardware sections, with the county revealing that these additions are meant to enhance functionality, safety, and comfort for traders and customers alike.
“For years, Gikomba has been a place of pain for many families who’ve lost everything to fires. We committed to end that cycle of loss. What we’re building here is not just a market, it’s hope, order, and dignity for our traders,” Sakaja said during an inspection tour of the facility.
He added that the Gikomba project is part of a countywide effort to modernise markets across Nairobi, ensuring that small-scale traders operate in well-managed environments.
However, it was not immediately clear as to whether the traders had been engaged in relocation plans which have recently resulted in friction between City Hall and them.
Gikomba is one of Nairobi's main markets, which mainly deals in non-food items such as clothes, household goods, and hardware supplies.
Meanwhile, Nairobi is also in the process of constructing similar market projects that are already underway in other parts of the city, including Mutuini in Dagoretti South Sub-County, which will accommodate over 500 traders once completed.
The facility will also include cold rooms, butcheries, improved drainage systems, and proper lighting to enhance safety and hygiene.
The projects are being developed in partnership with the national government, which has recently indicated intentions to help the devolved unit in some of its functions for efficient service delivery.
