Caleb Amisi blames institutional failure for recurrent Gikomba market fires
By Emmanuel Rono, June 21, 2026Saboti MP Caleb Amisi has criticised the government’s failure and lack of support for entrepreneurs following the fire incident at Nairobi’s Gikomba Market.
In a statement on his X account on Sunday, June 21, 2026, Amisi said the recurring fires at the country’s largest second-hand goods market paint a worrying picture of systemic weaknesses in the management and protection of businesses.
“The perennial cases of fire in the Gikomba market paints a picture of institutional failure and disregard for entrepreneurship,” Amisi stated.
Governance challenges
The legislator argued that the repeated destruction of property and livelihoods at the market points to deeper governance challenges that require urgent intervention from authorities.
Amisi further called for a national renewal, saying Kenya needs a “renaissance” to address long-standing institutional shortcomings and create a more supportive environment for entrepreneurs and small-scale traders.
Gikomba fire outbreak
In a statement shared by Kenya Red Cross Society on its X account on Sunday, June 21, 2026, the humanitarian agency confirmed that emergency response teams had been deployed to the scene as efforts began to contain the rapidly spreading blaze.
The fire, whose cause had not been immediately established by the time of publication, triggered a swift emergency response in one of the capital’s busiest informal trading centres, with responders moving quickly to assess the situation and prevent further destruction.
“A huge fire has been reported at Gikomba Market near the fish side area. Response teams are at the scene. Updates to follow,” Kenya Red Cross said in the statement.
Witnesses reported scenes of panic as traders rushed to salvage goods while thick smoke billowed across the area, attracting crowds as firefighters and emergency responders battled to contain the inferno.
Gikomba Market, one of Kenya’s largest second-hand clothes and open-air trading centres, has over the years experienced repeated fire incidents that have left traders counting losses worth millions of shillings.
The latest blaze once again exposed concerns over fire preparedness in informal markets, where congestion and limited emergency access continue to complicate rescue operations.