Gikomba traders’ looming date with excavators
A section of Gikomba Market in Nairobi that is marked for demolition to pave way for the construction of Quarry road in this photo taken on January 8, 2022.
Hundreds of Gikomba Market traders are staring at a possible loss of their source of livelihood as they face eviction from a section of the biggest open-air market in Nairobi.
They will on Sunday January 9 likely wake up to harrowing scenes of excavators flattening their stalls if the government proceeds to demolish stalls in a section of the market to pave way for construction of Quarry Road.
The traders, however, claim that the planned road construction is but a cover up narrative for the damage they are about to suffer.
“We are occupying a riparian land. We are wondering which road the government is planning to construct along Nairobi River,” one trader said, adding that they have been operating in fear of victimisation.
On Friday January 7, local administration including the area Chief and the Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) made rounds asking the traders to vacate the area. This, the traders say, is the only formal vacation notice they have been served with. The Nation, however, could not immediately verify these claims.
For years, mysterious fires have razed sections of the market, with the government promising permanent solutions from time to time.
Lack of access roads have always been blamed for unsuccessful attempts at containing the fires.
Interior PS Karanja Kibicho had promised various intervention measures to the fires including installation of CCTV cameras. The road and the cameras would help solve the puzzle of constant fires, he said then.
When the Nation visited the area on Saturday January 8, everything else seemed normal. In its characteristic chaotic nature punctuated by the usual noisy hawkers, impatient hand cart pullers, curious buyers and unfaltering sellers made the perfect, almost deceiving, cocktail of normalcy at the fire-ridden market.
Except fear, and the apprehension of doom that the looming demolition holds, was palpable within the traders as today (Saturday January 8) would be the last evening their stalls remained standing in that section of the market.
Sources within the government, who requested anonymity on the grounds of sensitivity of the matter, hinted that there are budgetary allocations made and that excavators are already at the Kamukunji County Commissioners premises awaiting their assignment on Sunday.
“The excavators have been here, three days now,” the source said.
Police spokesperson Bruno Shiosho, however, said that he was “not aware” of the intended demolitions in Gikomba.
“I’m not aware, but suggest you get more clarification from NMS or Nairobi County or even National Government for that matter. Police we are never in the lead of such operations,” he replied to our queries.
When contacted by the Nation, NMS head of strategic communication Tony Mbarine said he was to confirm “and get back.” He was yet to get back with any clarification by time of publication.
