Four dead as fire razes a section of Nairobi’s Toi Market

Four people were killed in a fire that razed Toi Market in Kibra, Nairobi, on Saturday morning.

According to police, the fire is believed to have started at around 4 am, suspected to have been caused by an electrical fault.

Reports indicate that the four victims had gone to the scene in an attempt to rescue their property, which was consumed by the deadly fire.

Other traders are counting significant losses after a fire destroyed their stalls. Firefighters from the Nairobi County Government arrived hours later, but the fire had already spread quickly.

Last year, on June 11, 2023, an inferno burned down a large section of Toi Market, and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja promised to help the traders rebuild their stalls.

"We have assessed the damage and we will help you rebuild," he said then

Sakaja added that plans to create ample road access inside the market will also be incorporated into the rebuilding project to allow emergency vehicles to gain access during similar incidents.

However, 13 months down the line, the market is yet to be rebuilt

Chief Officer for Trade, Markets, and Cooperatives Godfrey Akumali had earlier noted that the land at Toi Market was contested.

"You must be aware that one of the major problems facing Toi Market is the land. The land is contested, which means we are unable to start the project as soon as we wanted," he said.

Following the fire incident in June 2023, the Nairobi County Assembly passed a motion to compel the executive to construct a perimeter wall at Toi Market in the current financial year 2023–24.

However, this cannot be achieved until the land dispute is solved.

Land grabbing is a major challenge facing most free public land in Nairobi.

In 2023, City Hall commenced a drive to reclaim public land grabbed by private developers.

Sakaja promised that no effort would be spared to repossess land meant for public use like expansion, recreation, and parking.

In October, the Nairobi County Build, Environment, and Urban Planning sector rolled out a development plan to help deter land grabbing, evict land grabbers from public properties, and regulate the encroachment of buildings.

All developers within the county were required to submit drawings to the physical planning sector for approval, stream revenue, and promote the authentication of properties before proceeding with construction.