Fire Blazes Gikomba Market For The 2nd Time This Year

As ritualistic as it has come to be known, Gikomba Market has had a section burnt down for the second time this year, 2020.

The Gikomba Market fire that broke out on the early morning of 25th June 2020 reduced the number of structures around the cereals and mitumba sections just opposite the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) offices.

According to traders who spoke to the press, the fire broke out at around 3 am and was still ravaging property by 7 am with traders expressing disappointment in county firemen who took long to respond.

“I got a call from my colleague who told me that the market was on fire. Upon arrival, I saw that everything was engulfed in fire and there was nothing much I could salvage,” one of the traders said.

“The county firefighters arrived at around 6 am, our goods had already burnt down” a cereal trader whose goods have gotten roasted said amid tears.

“Corona has already hit our business hard, did we really need a fire to finish what was left? Where do we go from here? What did we do wrong and to whom that we get punished this way,” the cereal trader posed outrightly broken as she stared at her once good produce burnt to ashes.

County firefighters continued to fight the raging fire in the Gikomba market as traders fought to move the debris and recover anything that could have been spared by the flames.

This is not the first time the large second-hand wear market is burning as it had burnt again earlier in February 2020 with the traders suffering losses estimated at millions.