Trader Lilian Anyango on Sunday, June 11, narrated how she lost millions of shillings in three different fire incidents, the latest being the inferno that obliterated her latest shop at Toi Market.
Speaking to the media after the Sunday morning fire outbreak at the market, the businesswoman recounted how she first lost her stock in a similar blaze in 2007 when all her goods were reduced to ashes.
Soon after, she stabilised her business only for a similar fate to strike her again in 2019 and she didn’t manage to rescue anything from her stall.
In the latest incident, Anyango estimated that she lost stock worth Ksh3 million.
“This is not the first time I have lost my stock in fire outbreaks. The first time was in 2007 when my stock was reduced to ashes. A similar fire incident occurred in 2019 when I suffered a great deal. Today, I have lost my stock worth Ksh3 million,” Anyango explained.
She, therefore, urged the government to beef up security at the market by deploying security personnel and installing CCTV cameras to safeguard the property of traders.
Approximately 3,000 traders counted losses after their property was destroyed in the fire incident at the Toi market that broke out on Sunday at around 1:00 a.m.
Alice Anunda, another trader at the same market, indicated that she had lost her stock worth Ksh3.2 million in a fire that razed down her four stalls.
The trader who specialises in selling garments narrated that she had restocked all four stalls with clothes worth Ksh800,000 each before the fire broke out.
“I have 4 stalls where I sell all types of clothes. I have lost a lot of money since each stall had stock worth Ksh800,000. I have lost a total of Ksh3.2 million,” she narrated.
The businesswoman attributed the outbreak to land grabbers who she argued targeted parcels of land set aside for the market and push them out of the area.
The traders, as a result, called on DCI to investigate the matter and arrest suspects involved in the arson attack while demanding compensation for their losses.
“We want the government to compensate us so that we can construct new stalls and acquire new stock for our business,” stated David Kose, a trader.
Kennedy Jumba, an official at the market, emphasised that the alleged land grabbers want to use fake documents to push traders out of the market.
“There is no way any person can produce a genuine title deed claiming ownership of the land because it belongs to the county government and we urge the authorities to support us. We depend on this market,” he pleaded.
Kibra Deputy County Commissioner Gideon Ombogi assured the traders of investigating the matter to ensure those involved in arson are arrested and charged in court.
On the other hand, Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson responded by visiting the market the same day and promised to assist traders in establishing new stalls.
The governor assured the traders that the county government will analyse the situation and offer materials that will help in rebuilding the market.
