Traders count millions in losses as 300 stalls go up in flames

Korogocho market up in flames, hours after Gikomba tragedy. [Courtesy]

As he sifted through the remains of his stall scavenging for undamaged onions, Simon Njoroge kept on reaching to his pocket for his phone and angrily dismissing those calling him for business.

“Nimesema siwezi ongea saa hizi please. Nimechomekewa na kila kitu(Please I cannot talk now. All my things have been burnt),” said Njoroge on phone.

Just two days earlier, he had brought in a new stock of onions from Tanzania worth Sh500, 000 to boost another stock of the same amount.

But on Thursday 9pm at Korogocho market, Nairobi everything went up in flames leaving him with almost nothing to salvage.

"I have no idea where to start. May be if these politicians come to my aid," said a frustrated Njoroge.

The fire happened barely 24 hours after another fire burnt down stalls in Gikomba market leaving 15 dead and over 70 injured. In the Korogocho case, however, there were no causalities as the market was closed when the fire started.

Even the security guard at who mans the site at night only known as Mrefu because of his tall stature could not tell exactly where the fire started.

“I do not even know. It was just abrupt. May be we may know the case when an investigation is done,” he said hurriedly.

The sweet scent of baked fruits mixed with roasted chicken sneaking its way through the smoke was just a distraction until one meets the sight of the actual damage. Traders were busy trying to salvage avocados, oranges, bananas and other groceries that had been reduced to ashes by the fire.

Some of the stalls had live chicken in them, which were roasted alive.

According to the chair of the market, Patrick Kioko at least 300 stalls have been destroyed.

“The damage here amounts to about Sh6 million,” he said.

Kioko said when an alarm was raised, fire engines made it in ten minutes, at least for the first time. The traders had tried to put out the fire themselves with futility.

“If it were not for them, may be more stalls would have been destroyed.” Said Kioko. One of the stalls, according to some traders is a hotel.

He said the fire started from two stalls in the market but when they tried to put it out, it spread even more.

Korogocho market, located next to the Korogocho slums has a lot of improper electricity connections and there is almost no clear route that can be used by fire engines in cases of emergencies.