Police recovered stolen bales of mitumba during Gikomba fire
Police recovered stolen bales of mitumba during the Gikomba fire
A fire that broke out in Gikomba market, Kamkunji Sub County in Nairobi, leaving one person dead, might have been an arson incident, police now say.
On the wee hours of Saturday morning, Mr. David Ndala reported to the police at Shauri Moyo station that there was a fire at Gikomba Market.
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It was then that the officers rushed to the scene, where it was established that the fire had started at 10:45 pm.
“The fire started at Kwa Shosho, one of the traders’ business outlet where goods of unknown value were damaged. Police also recovered four bales of mitumba stolen and hidden nearby. The fire was contained at 5am,” a police report filed at Shauri Moyo police station read in part.
A follow-up report at the same station revealed that one man died in the fire.
Mr. Humphrey Mwangi reported to the police that his cousin, also known as Mr. Humphrey Mwangi, who worked at the market, had died.
“He was seriously burnt during the incident and was rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) by an ambulance but unfortunately succumbed while undergoing treatment,” the report read in part.
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Police officers visited the hospital, where it was established that the victim had been received at the facility at 6 am on Saturday. After he succumbed, the body was taken to KNH morgue awaiting postmortem,” the report further read.
The fire incident on Monday, October 17, 2022, attracted the attention of Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, who said that they had outlined three areas of focus with traders at the market on how they will deal with the cases of fire in Gikomba.
He said that as of today, Tuesday, October 18, 2022, surveyors will kick off the demarcation of the land to process a title deed.
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Mr. Sakaja alleged that one of the main causes of the series of fire incidents that were being witnessed in the Gikomba market was as a result of land grabbers and speculators.
“Together with the traders, we have identified a site for the fire station whose construction will commence. Additionally, work on the borehole and servicing hydrants starts this week,” Mr. Sakaja said.
He also said he would ensure that the market has a perimeter wall around it and install CCTV cameras within the premises.
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