Orient Insurance to pay Sh90m to Gikomba traders who lost goods in fire tragedy

Traders watch in disbelief as fire burns their property at the Gikomba market on June 23, 2015. Kenya Orient Insurance Ltd will on Tuesday September 8, 2015 pay Sh90 million to traders who lost goods in the fire tragedy. FILE PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By  ABIUD OCHIENG

What you need to know:

  • The fire, which started on the morning of June 23, rendered many stall owners jobless.
  • The fire reportedly started in area 42 before it spread to Gorofani in Gikomba.
  • The ceremony will be held at the insurer’s offices at Capitol Hill Towers beginning 8am.
  • There have been repeated fire incidents at the market but investigations have been unable to establish the cause.

Kenya Orient Insurance Ltd will on Tuesday pay Sh90 million to traders who lost goods in a fire tragedy at Nairobi’s Gikomba market.

According to a communication by the insurer, this will be part of the claim settlement following the fire that gutted the market in June.

The ceremony will be held at the insurer’s offices at Capitol Hill Towers beginning 8am.

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The fire, which started on the morning on June 23 rendered many stall owners jobless.

VERY LITTLE SALVAGED

Very little was salvaged in the aftermath of the fire.

The fire reportedly started in area 42 before it spread to Gorofani in Gikomba.

There have been repeated fire incidents at the market but investigations have been unable to establish the cause so that a lasting solution could be found.

Ms Mary Anyango, the chairman of the traders, had told journalists that there was more than meets the eye in the fire incidents.

"There is somebody who is always setting our stalls on fire since the fire only occurs at odd hours,” Ms Anyango had commented.

Mr Samuel Mburu, a trader, said he lost stock worth Sh150,000 and still had a loan to repay, while Mr Patrick Maloki said he lost stock worth Sh250,000 in the fire.

Some traders also accused firefighters of arriving late at the scene and thereby making it harder to salvage property.

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