Traders at Gikomba Market in Nairobi were left counting losses after a section of the shoe market was demolished overnight on Monday, March 30.
The demolition, carried out by the Nairobi County government under tight security, flattened stalls and scattered merchandise, disrupting one of Nairobi’s busiest informal trading hubs.
Photos seen by The Kenya Times show a large section of a market flattened overnight.
Wooden planks, beams, and debris littered the ground as traders and onlookers moved through the wreckage, attempting to salvage their belongings.
The stalls were almost completely destroyed, showing the full extent of the demolition across one of the city’s busiest trading areas.
Kenyans React to the Gikomba Demolitions
The move is part of a wider directive issued by the Ministry of Interior on May 3, 2024, requiring the removal of buildings constructed on riparian land across Nairobi and other urban centers.
According to the county, the measures are aimed at mitigating the risks of flooding, especially during heavy rains, after repeated incidents exposed the dangers posed by settlements and commercial structures along riverbanks and drainage channels.
Some Kenyans have condemned the demolitions, while others point out that traders were given time to relocate beforehand.
Several notable leaders have voiced their concerns, with Embakasi East MP Babu Owino condemning Nairobi County leadership over the demolition.
“Traders at Gikomba lost their businesses, their stock, and their only source of income overnight. This is not leadership. It’s betrayal,” he said.
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Meanwhile, former nominated Senator Millicent Omanga described the demolitions as a devastating setback for thousands of traders.
In a statement on March 31, Omanga described the market as “the heartbeat of thousands of hustles,” lamenting that traders have lost their stock, property, and livelihoods, with no alternatives or answers.
“Gikomba is not just a market, it’s the heartbeat of thousands of hustles. Today, it’s being torn down. Traders have lost their stock, their property, their livelihoods, without alternatives, without answers. The largest market in East and Central Africa was reduced to loss and silence,” Omanga said.
Also Read: Gikomba Demolitions: Sakaja’s Office Clears Air on Planned Eviction
Demolition Warning
On March 19, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja ordered the immediate demolition of structures at Gikomba Market, citing safety and regulatory concerns.
The move comes as part of efforts to enforce city planning rules and restore order in one of Nairobi’s busiest trading hubs.
Sakaja confirmed that the demolitions began following a detailed action report from the county’s enforcement team.
The governor urged traders to relocate voluntarily and warned that the enforcement would continue until all illegal constructions were cleared.
He said the demolitions are necessary to regulate the markets and protect both residents and traders.
