Mitumba consortium mourns Gikomba fire victims, calls for probe
President William Ruto goes everywhere each day which is good for him, but Kenyans need him to come to Gikomba Market after the latest in endless fires that destroy people business there all the time.
The Mitumba Consortium Association of Kenya (MCAK) has mourned victims of the Gikomba Market fire and called for investigations into the cause of the blaze, as well as urgent support for traders who suffered losses.
In a statement released on June 22, the association expressed condolences to families who lost their loved ones and solidarity with traders whose businesses and livelihoods were affected by the incident.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones and stand in solidarity with all traders whose livelihoods have been shattered,” MCAK said.
The association described Gikomba as a critical economic hub that supports thousands of families through trade and small businesses.
The latest fire, which occurred on June 21, resulted in the deaths of two people, injured at least 17 others and destroyed numerous stalls and goods worth millions of shillings.
MCAK called for a thorough, transparent and independent investigation to establish the cause of the fire and help prevent similar incidents in the future.
The association also urged both the national government and Nairobi County Government to provide immediate assistance to affected traders and families of the deceased.
Among the measures proposed are improved market infrastructure, installation and maintenance of functional fire safety systems, better emergency access routes and stronger disaster preparedness mechanisms.
MCAK said repeated market fires continue to have a significant impact on traders by disrupting businesses, destroying investments and affecting household incomes.
“Every time a market burns, jobs are lost, businesses collapse and families are pushed deeper into poverty,” the association said.
It added that protecting traders and strengthening safety measures in markets should remain a priority due to the role the informal sector plays in Kenya’s economy.
MCAK reaffirmed its commitment to working with all stakeholders to ensure traders operate in safer and more resilient business environments.
Once again there was massive fire at Gikomba Market and everybody knows that will continue because rich people in the city want to burn that great market and trading center for local Nairobi folks down to ashes so it can be taken over and turned into a huge city corporate buildings worth billions.
It would be very good for the country and for himself if President William Ruto after he comes back from Kirinyaga to visit Gikomba Market after the fire meet the traders and people who work there and tell them the fires will stop completely and his government will work with the traders and Nairobi County leadership to build Gikomba into a permanent business center for the folks who are there now.
Gikomba is a work of genius for Nairobi small business as well as traders and farmers from the whole region. If President Ruto comes up and declares complete support to move Gikomba to the next level it would be great for Nairobi and for the country.
Why not?
It is like Nairobi Market in Koinange Street. You buy anything there and eat great food and fruits.
That is our city for all the citizens. It can only get better with direct government support. That has to begin now and continue.
Fruits at Koinange Street Market is something else. It was hard for me to get out of there.
My sister always shocks me when I am home and she wakes up at 6 AM and takes a car to Kisumu to go to Kibuye Market and comes back a few hours later loaded to run her really complex shop in Bondo Market
She tells me she needs to get a lot of things from Kibuye Market and she needs to be back in her business in Bondo very early with all the stuff for her customers.
And our dreams for Bondo Market at home remain the same and we are going to get there.
The Bondo Rural Strategic Devt Agency – Home | Hivi Punde
Ruto blasts MPs who opposed Finance Bill 2026 ahead of assent
President William Ruto blasts MPs who opposed the Finance Bill 2026, saying it will fund coffee farmers, fertilizer programmes and Kenyans.
President William Ruto has blasted Members of Parliament who opposed the Finance Bill 2026 as he waits to sign it into law on Tuesday.
Speaking on Monday during the launch of the Coffee Revival Programme in Kianyaga County, Ruto said the Bill contains funding that will directly benefit coffee farmers and ordinary Kenyans across the country.
And here is my River Yala where I used to walk across the bridge for fun and it turned into this. Kenya politics is bad and it is going to get really tough for every politician. When I was a kid, 100 years ago walking over Yala River bridge was crazy.
The bridge was made of wood, sticks with ropes all over, and it swings when you are crossing the river and you have no idea if you are going to end at the bottom of the river from the bridge. That was the fun of it all for us.
One of the crazy things is that without River Yala there is no Nam Lolwe, (Endless Lake) as the Luos folks who lived there called it (Lake Victoria) and no River Nile going all the way to Egypt.
And Nyando feeds the lake too.
That is another story to look at later.
Right now, River Yala is in the spotlight again for the 2027 elections.
Adongo Ogony is a Human Rights Activist and a Writer who lives in Toronto, Canada
