Several families and traders have been left counting heavy losses after a devastating fire razed the popular Mitumba Market in Machakos town.

The inferno, which broke out around midnight on Saturday, July 4, 2026, quickly engulfed stalls stocked with second-hand clothes and other merchandise, leaving traders who depend on the market for their livelihoods in shock.

As dawn broke, the extent of the destruction became clear, with smoke still rising from the charred remains of the once-bustling trading centre.

The fire has disrupted the livelihoods of dozens of traders and left many families facing uncertainty as they seek to recover from the losses.

In the aftermath, the Machakos County Fire and Emergency Services team continued working to bring the blaze under full control and secure the scene.

Traders return to charred remains

The market was reduced to a trail of destruction, with burnt timber, twisted iron sheets and heaps of ash marking where traders had displayed second-hand clothes, shoes and household goods. Firefighters remained at the scene for hours after the fire, damping down hotspots and ensuring the flames did not spread to neighbouring businesses.

For many traders, the fire wiped out their only source of income. The market supports hundreds of small-scale entrepreneurs who rely on daily sales to meet household expenses, pay school fees and restock their businesses. By morning, many had gathered around the ruins, hoping to salvage anything that survived the blaze.

“The aftermath of the fire outbreak at Machakos Mtumba Market, as the Machakos County Fire and Emergency Services team continues working tirelessly to bring the blaze under full control,” posted one user.

Fire comes days after Gikomba blaze

The Machakos fire comes barely two weeks after another major market fire at Nairobi’s Gikomba Market. The June 21, 2026 blaze took nearly 10 hours to contain, with the Kenya Red Cross confirming that 17 people sustained injuries, most of them from smoke inhalation and minor burns.

During the Gikomba response, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja condemned attacks on emergency responders after an NYS fire engine was stoned.

“I must also express condemnation of the lawless, unprovoked attacks directed at first responders. A National Youth Service (NYS) fire engine was stoned and forcibly turned away by rowdy youth, severely disrupting early containment efforts.”

Following the incident, Sakaja assured affected traders that the county government would support recovery efforts.

“To the Gikomba business community; your pain is our pain,” he said.

The two incidents have renewed concerns over fire preparedness in Kenya’s informal markets, where traders operate in closely packed stalls containing highly combustible materials.

Calls for investigations and improved market safety

The latest incident has renewed calls for improved fire prevention measures in public markets. Traders and residents are urging authorities to strengthen emergency preparedness by improving access roads, installing firefighting equipment and enforcing safety standards to reduce the risk of future disasters.

Following the Gikomba incident, Saboti MP Caleb Amisi criticised what he described as the government’s failure to protect entrepreneurs from recurring market fires.

“The perennial cases of fire in the Gikomba market paints a picture of institutional failure and disregard for entrepreneurship,” Amisi said in a statement shared on his X account on June 21.

He said the repeated market fires point to deeper governance challenges and called for what he described as a national “renaissance” to strengthen institutions and create a more supportive environment for entrepreneurs and small-scale traders.

Authorities are expected to investigate the cause of the Machakos fire as affected traders begin assessing their losses.