Hundreds of traders in Machakos town are counting devastating losses after a fierce fire tore through the popular Mitumba Market late Saturday night, reducing stalls stocked with second-hand clothes and merchandise to ashes.
The blaze broke out around midnight and spread rapidly through the market’s mabati structures, catching many traders off guard as they slept. By dawn, the extent of the destruction was clear, with charred timber, twisted iron sheets and smouldering ash marking what had once been a bustling trading hub.
For many, the fire wiped out their only source of livelihood. One trader, a single mother who has run her business for nearly a decade, said she felt like her life had come to an end since she solely depends on the mitumba trade to raise her family. She said her stall was destroyed while she slept, and efforts by first responders to salvage her merchandise proved fruitless.
Another affected trader said the business was his sole means of paying school fees, settling bills and covering rent in Machakos, adding that the fire had reduced him to zero and appealing for support from well-wishers to help him restart.
Several traders said they were still servicing bank loans taken out to stock their businesses, and now face uncertainty over how they will repay them amid Kenya’s tough economic climate. Many have called on the national and county governments to urgently step in and support their recovery.
Firefighters and emergency responders managed to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to neighbouring structures, though significant damage had already been done by the time crews arrived. The cause of the fire had not been established by the time of filing.
Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti visited the scene and expressed deep concern over the incident, saying she was saddened by the devastating fire that destroyed businesses and disrupted the livelihoods of many hardworking traders. She urged security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the blaze and to share their findings with the public promptly, while pledging that her administration would stand in solidarity with affected traders.
Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi also visited the affected traders, echoing calls for swift investigations into the cause of the fire.
The Machakos inferno comes barely two weeks after a similar fire tore through Nairobi’s Gikomba Market on June 21, an incident that took nearly ten hours to contain and left 17 people injured, mostly from smoke inhalation and minor burns.
The recurrence of major market fires within weeks of each other has renewed concerns over fire preparedness in Kenya’s informal markets, with traders and leaders calling for improved access roads, firefighting equipment and stricter enforcement of safety standards to prevent future disasters.
