Toi market traders were in a daze after an inferno broke out on Sunday night and burnt a large section of it. Toi market is a marketplace found in Kibera, Nairobi where many people go to find items at a cheaper price.
In the wee hours of the night on Sunday, the inferno broke out and spread to many stores in the area. A few witnesses claim that it started at 1 pm at one stall with an electric blower and then spread like wildfire. Thousands of stalls were burnt and thousands of traders ended up with huge losses from the fire.
Fire trucks managed to show up but could not gain access to the market due to closed roads and too many gates. They ended up having to put out the fire from the main road which was hardly possible to put all the fire out with minimal damage.
Some witnesses who were present claimed that three other fire trucks showed up but had no water. They claim that they had to go get water from Nairobi water. This, according to them, is one of the reasons for the delay in putting out the fire.
Nairobi’s governor, Sakaja Johnson and his team visited Toi market to assess the damage. He took to his social media and commented on the devastating fire. He sympathized with the traders and offered to help them rebuild their stalls.
Alongside this, he mentioned that there would be plans to create ample roads. This would help provide access within the market to help emergency vehicles help whenever there’s an issue. He also offered to provide temporary material and food support to those affected while they plan for the stall rebuilding.
“Trucks came and stopped on the road but didn’t help. There was no path to aid in gaining access to the market. Gates are also erected in many places and hindered access,” one of the traders said.
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