Autopsy on Gikomba victims’ bodies set for today, say police

Some of the buildings and shelters damaged by a fire outbreak at the Gikomba Market on Thursday. [Maxwell Agwanda, Standard]

A postmortem on the bodies of the 16 people who died in the Gikomba fire is expected to be conducted today, police sources said.

The examination will be part of investigations into the Thursday morning fire that left 70 other people seriously injured. Eight of those are in critical condition.

The Government has set up a multi-agency team to investigate the cause of the fire that started at 2am.

There have been claims that the fire may have been caused by an electrical fault, but some people allege that it could have been the work of arsonists.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said police were determined to bring to an end the frequent fires at the market, which some traders have attributed to business rivalry.

“I am aware police teams are conducting investigations on the fires we have been witnessing in Nairobi,” Dr Matiang’i said, adding the findings of the postmortem results would be made public.

He added: “If anyone will be found to have taken part, then they will be dealt with according to the law.”

Matiang’i said he had met Nairobi lawmakers with a view of finding a solution to perennial fire outbreaks at the market.

“There have been too many such incidents. That is why we want to engage all leaders in Nairobi as we seek a permanent solution,” he said.

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko said the multi-agency team includes detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

The team has visited the scene two times.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the families that lost their loved ones in the unfortunate incident. We ask for their patience as we investigate the matter,” Mr Sonko said after visiting some of the victims at Kenyatta National Hospital.

Sonko said the focus of the team would be to examine claims that the fire could have been an arson attack.

“We want Nairobi to be a safe place to invest and live in. That is why we will not allow our people to die in fire outbreaks. We must get a solution,” he said.