A huge fire which witnesses said started at 3am has razed down a section of Toi Market in Kibera, Nairobi with property worth millions of shillings destroyed.
The morning fire which has spread to residential houses in the area razing properties was still active up until 6 am with a huge cloud of smoke billowing in the skies.
The open-air market with more than 5,000 small-scale traders is located on the outskirts of Kibera slum and sits on a four-acre plot on Suna Road and there have been plans by the Nairobi City County government to erect houses on the parcel.
Fire incident reported at Toi Market in Kibera, Nairobi County. Efforts to put it out are underway. pic.twitter.com/Kr5DaE3psp— Kenya Red Cross (@KenyaRedCross) March 12, 2019
The informal market was rocked by another morning fire in 2014, prompting speculations by traders and the local community that there was a plan by unknown persons to grab the land.
Just in: Toi Market on Fire…details to follow #DayBreak @Zindzi_K @SamGituku @citizentvkenya pic.twitter.com/AM5ap9bqqQ— Willis Raburu (@WillisRaburu) March 12, 2019
Gladys Shollei has questioned why fire engines should be parked somewhere in the city centre which already has water hoses should there be a fire.
In her argument, fire engines should be near Gikomba or Toi market where the risk is higher .
The 2014 fire destroyed a large section of the market that is famous for used clothes, fresh produce, artefacts and toys, rendering hundreds of traders jobless.
Investigations by the police established that the fire started in one of the stalls before spreading to others.