A number of Gikomba traders who lost property worth millions of shillings have threatened to sue the Nairobi county government if it does not take responsibility for the numerous fire incidences at the market.
Through their lawyer Kamotho Njenga, the traders drafted a number of demands in a letter addressed to the Deputy Governor, Ann Kananu.
“We demand immediate deployment of proficient firefighting personnel on an around the clock basis within the market and installation of street lights across the entire market,” reads the letter in part.
They also want City hall to secure clear entry and exit routes in the market to facilitate adequate access in cases of emergency.
The traders are also demanding compensation for losses caused by the fire, failure to which they will go to court.
Read: Traders in Anguish as Perennial Gikomba Fire Razes Stores
Kananu has been given seven days to respond to the letter with an action plan for their demands, failure to which they will sue the county government.
Gikomba fires have become an annual event since 2012, with the worst incident recorded in 2018 when 15 people died and 60 were injured.
Three fires were recorded in 2018, leading President Uhuru Kenyatta to demand an inquest into the fires. However, three years later, there is still no report from the investigation.
According to Kamukunji MP Yussuf Hassan, the most recent fire had been planned for three weeks with an aim of evicting some traders.
Interior PS Karanja Kibicho seemed to corroborate the claims, alluding that a section of the traders were aware of the planned arson in advance.
The traders lose millions worth of property in the fires, but they have never been compensated.
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