Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has said the government is keen on bringing an end to frequent fires at Gikomba and other markets in Nairobi that have caused massive losses for traders.
The Deputy President said President William Ruto ordered investigative agencies to unearth the cause of the infernos including the recent fire on April 1 in Gikomba that destroyed businesses belonging to over 300 small-scale traders.
Prof Kindiki spoke when he hosted traders affected by the recent fire at his official residence in Karen on Wednesday.
The DP said genuine concerns had been raised on the frequency of the fires and they are being addressed.
“We must get to the root cause of the fires. The President has directed relevant agencies to investigate the causes of these fires. It doesn’t make sense to imagine that these fires are accidental. They keep on happening year in year out. Investigations are ongoing so we solve it once and for all,” Prof Kindiki said.
The Deputy President said the government will support the traders re-establish their hustles as it works with them on finding long-lasting solutions to various challenges facing them.
“I have spoken with all your leaders and we have agreed on the way forward. We will resolve the challenges you have raised,” DP assured them.
Meanwhile, the DP said the government was building over 400 modern markets across the country to dignify the small-scale traders and mama mboga by providing them with decent places of work with needed facilities.
“We have standardized the facilities we are providing in every market. Every market has a room for lactating mothers, cold rooms for fresh produce among others. We are doing our best to provide decent places of work for our small-scale traders,” DP added.
