Isiolo traders suffer losses as fire razes their businesses
Traders at Mathare market in Isiolo town billowed in smoke on August 23, 2022. The fire broke out on Monday night and reduced properties worth millions to ashes.
Dozens of traders at the Mathare market in Isiolo town are counting losses after their properties worth millions were reduced to ashes in an inferno on Monday night.
The fire broke out after midnight and razed cereal shops, eateries and other stores, and several semi-permanent houses. It started in one shop before spreading to others.
Firefighters on a military fire engine tried to extinguish the blaze but were overwhelmed, with traders watching as their properties were consumed by the flames.
The fire had not been extinguished by 8am. Traders salvaged blackened iron sheets with soot smudges for sale as scrap metal.
Ms Zulekha Rago, one of the affected traders, said that had the county fire engine responded swiftly, the losses would have been prevented.
“We raised the alarm immediately when the fire started, but only the military engine came and prevented it from spreading to the Bula area. But we did not salvage anything,” she lamented, adding that she lost property worth over Sh300,000.
Traders at Mathare market in Isiolo town billowed in smoke on August 23, 2022. The fire broke out on Monday night and reduced properties worth millions to ashes.
Others affected were a group of 10 young mothers who were previously street girls and who had a general shop in the area behind the modern market under construction by the county government.
“How will we fend for our children? Isn’t this a way of impoverishing us and taking us back to the streets? Where will we get money to reconstruct the shops?” one of them posed, calling on the police to investigate those involved and bring them to book.
Elijah Gikuamba, another trader, said the fire was politically instigated, adding that two previous fires at the same site happened after the 2013 and 2017 elections.
“Why is it that the fires always break out after elections? This must be investigated and the culprits arrested. This is not a normal fire,” he said.
The traders said they had not received any help from outgoing Governor Mohamed Kuti, and that the majority of them took out loans to re-establish their businesses.
Traders at Mathare market in Isiolo town collect remains from their properties that were gutted down by an inferno on August 23, 2022. By Waweru Wairimu/Nation Media Group
“No one cares [how we will restart our businesses] apart from telling us sorry. They rarely do follow-ups, leaving us on our own, yet we hear them say there are funds for supporting small and medium traders,” another trader lamented.
They appealed for humanitarian assistance from local elected leaders, the county government and non-governmental organisations.
“[The victims] need food and tents for temporary use as a lasting solution is sought,” said Witherford Mwirigi, a local leader.
Isiolo North MP-elect Joseph Samal asked incoming governor Abdi Ibrahim Guyo to help the traders reconstruct their shops and resettle those whose houses were gutted.
Mr Samal visited the traders with Bulapesa MCA David Nyoro and his Wabera counterpart Salesio Kiambi and called for more fire engines to be procured.
“The county should ensure the fire engine is standby and if need be, procure more so that infernos and other emergencies are promptly responded to,” Mr Samal said, asking the Kenya Red Cross to offer humanitarian assistance to the victims.
Municipality Manager Osman Halakhe said the county government was keen to assist the affected traders to re-establish their shops.
“I am sorry for the loss and I want to assure you that we are doing everything possible to ensure we have a lasting solution to the issue,” he said.
The cause of the fire had not been established, though traders claimed it was started by an arsonist.
