A huge fire is razing down stalls and other local businesses near city stadium along Jogoo Road in Nairobi
Confirming the incident on Tuesday, January 30, the Kenya Red Cross indicated that the fire had been reported at around 6:25pm.
Motorists plying Jogoo Road have reported a huge smoke coming from the area.
“A fire outbreak has been reported affecting bussiness premises near City Stadium, Nairobi County. Fire brigade enroute, Red Cross Action Team and dispatch notified. More updates to follow,” the statement from Red Cross Kenya read.
Additionally, businessmen and women around the vicinity were seen stranded, some of them watch their businesses consumed by the fire.
Others whose bussinesses are adjuscent to the ones ablaze attempted to salvage some of their products by moving bcak into the stalls and taking them out.
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Cause of the Fire
The incident, whose cause is yet to be identified, has led to a huge crowd gathering around the area and increased traffic jam along the road.
Although response teams indicated that they were at the scene, the extent of the damage to the goods and traders present is not yet clear.
By the time this article was published, the inferno had been razing down the stalls for more than 30 minutes.
Reportedly, the most affected bussinesses are the Jua Kali bussinesses, whose vending stalls and workshops are located just by the road.
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Jogoo Road and Gikomba Fires
In a seperate incident in February 2022, a bussinessman lost all his goods in a fire that burnt down a business premises in Hamza Estate along Jogoo Road.
Furniture and other property of unknown value were destroyed in the showroom along the busy road.
On the other hand, on December 1, concerns were raised regarding the multiple reports of fire at Gikomba Market, the biggest open-air market in East Africa.
It was reported that there had been at least 15 fires reported in Gikomba market in the past six six years alone, yet a clear cause of the fires was never determined.