Traders at Garissa’s Soko Mugdi market rise from ashes again as state plans modern upgrade
On Thursday, Garissa County Commissioner Mohamed Ramadhan presided over the distribution of donations worth over Sh1.6 million—provided by Health CS Aden Duale—which included 1,000 iron sheets and 170 wheelbarrows, but he acknowledged that many traders are still far from fully recovering.
Kaha Abdullahi, a mother of four, is among hundreds of women at Garissa’s Soko Mugdi market who continue to demonstrate resilience and determination as they rebuild their livelihoods time and again in the face of adversity.
Their ability to adapt and recover from frequent market fires reflects a deep entrepreneurial spirit, as they persistently bounce back from repeated setbacks.
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Kaha is one of many traders—most of them women—at Garissa’s largest market who lost goods and property worth millions when a fire razed the market three weeks ago.
Now seated beneath a market stall umbrella donated by a well-wisher to shield her from the scorching sun, Kaha has returned to the market alongside other women to restart her vegetable business from scratch.
"This is the fourth time a devastating fire has razed my vegetable stall. I lost goods worth Sh500,000 in the recent inferno, but I can't sit at home since my children, who lost their father, need to be fed and educated. We are not giving up, we have to find ways to overcome the challenge," she said.
"I'm glad to have received a market stall umbrella and wheelbarrow that was donated by the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Aden Duale, who two days ago donated iron sheets and wheelbarrows to the market women," she stated.
She explained that the wheelbarrow helps her transport goods to and from home, as she currently has no stall to store them.
Garissa County Commissioner Mohamed Ramadhan speaks during the distribution of wheelbarrows and other supplies to traders affected by the recent Soko Mugdi Market fire. (Photo: Issa Hussein)
Plans for modern market
She lamented that the municipal enforcement team has barred traders from rebuilding their stalls, citing plans by the national government to construct a modern market.
Maryan Khalif, another vegetable vendor who has endured multiple fire outbreaks at the market, said she has decided to use her savings to restart her business and support her family.
Her decision to rebuild in a market where she has repeatedly suffered significant losses is a testament to the courage, inner strength, and perseverance of women facing hardship.
"This is the only source of livelihood we have, I will not be deterred by the numerous fire outbreaks in the market to stop working for my children," she claimed.
Promised support
She said the Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes, Geoffrey Ruku, visited the market on the fateful day and promised support to help them recover their losses—but so far, they have only received relief food.
"Apart from the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Aden Duale's donation of iron sheets and wheelbarrows, we have yet to receive a donation from the government that will help us restart our business. We would have appreciated the government considering this, since we have been affected by several fire outbreaks. If the traders are empowered, the economy too will grow," she said.
She appealed to the municipality to allow them to rebuild their stalls temporarily while the government finalises plans to construct a modern market.
Feisal Ibrahim, another trader who lost his textile shop in the fire, was seen clearing debris in preparation to restart his business.
He estimates his losses at around Sh1.2 million—a burden he is still struggling to overcome.
Feisal added that four of his employees are currently jobless due to the impact of the fire.
He plans to reestablish his business using donations from family members and his personal savings.
Donations
On Thursday, Garissa County Commissioner Mohamed Ramadhan presided over the distribution of donations worth over Sh1.6 million.
The aid, which included 1,000 iron sheets and 170 wheelbarrows, was provided by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale. Despite this, Ramadhan acknowledged that many traders are still far from full recovery.
"This is the fifth fire incident at the market, and together with the county government, we agreed to address the root causes of the frequent outbreaks," he said.
He said investigations were still ongoing, with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Nairobi analysing samples collected from the suspected point where the fire started.
He also noted that plans to construct a modern market with a capacity for 750 traders—valued at over Sh500 million—are currently in the tendering phase.
Speaking at the same event, the market's chairman, Billow Bashir, appealed to the county government to allow traders to erect temporary shelters to help them rebuild their livelihoods.
He also condemned the harassment of traders by municipal enforcement officers, saying the askaris were making it difficult for them to operate.
Billow emphasised that traders are not opposed to the government's plan to construct the proposed market but insisted they should be allowed to use makeshift structures in the meantime, until the project is completed.
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