Fire Destroys Toi Market stalls, Traders Count Heavy Losses

Traders at the renowned Toi Market in Nairobi’s Kibera area are facing significant losses after a fire engulfed their stalls in the early hours of the morning. The blaze, which started around 2 am on Sunday, resulted in the destruction of valuable property worth millions of shillings.

Although the exact cause of the fire remains uncertain, local residents speculate that it might have originated from an electrical fault. The county government dispatched fire engines to the scene in an attempt to extinguish the flames, but the damage had already been done, reducing the affected property to ashes.

Regrettably, this is not the first time that Toi Market has fallen victim to such devastating fires. Despite promises from the government to address these recurring infernos, the market continues to be prone to these incidents. In November 2021, a fire destroyed a section of stalls, causing significant financial losses for the traders.

Similar incidents occurred in 2019, with two fires erupting within a span of four years after a major outbreak in 2014 that resulted in the destruction of valuable property, the exact value of which remains unknown.

The sluggish response of the fire services has been attributed to the lack of accessible roads in the area. In 2018, the market witnessed three fire incidents, prompting then-President Uhuru Kenyatta to demand investigations into the matter and the prosecution of those responsible.

In June of that year, a tragic fire in the timber and clothing section of the market claimed the lives of 15 people and left at least 60 others injured.