Millions of shillings were lost after a fire engulfed sections of Gikomba market in Nairobi on Sunday morning.
The fires according to a trader at the market, Moses Mwangi started at around 7am.
“I was here about quarter to seven but the fire started at around 7am,” he said.
Mwangi owns a shoe and clothes stall at Gikomba market
Nairobi County fire engines arrived at the scene after 30 minutes.
Another group of fire fighters drawn from the Sonko rescue team was also at the scene where they jointly helped in putting out the fire that was spreading rapidly.
Thoough not confriemd, the traders said the fire was a result of an electrical fault.
They said power connectivity in the market is substandard.
“Electricity connectivity here is not something we would honestly stand up and say that it is upto required standards,” said Vincent Nyamondi, another trader.
The market has a history of fires.
In 2015, property of an unknown amount was destroyed by a similar fire.
The traders at that time alleged it was as a result of foul play by certain investors eyeing the piece of land where the market is situated.
By Pharis Kinyua. He’s an online Journalist and an author for Jamhuri News