Nairobi Governor gets stoned at Fire-Ravaged Toi Market
On August 3, 2024, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja faced hostility from Toi Market traders after a fire destroyed the market.
Traders, frustrated by perceived neglect, threw stones and demanded action.
Despite the chaos and no serious injuries, Sakaja pledged support and investigations pointed to an electrical malfunction as the cause.
Nairobi governor; Johnson Sakaja
August 3, 2024, Nairobi — Governor Johnson Sakaja of Nairobi was met with hostility today when he went to Toi Market, which was completely destroyed by fire this morning. The fire broke out in the wee hours of the morning, destroying a large chunk of the market, damaging a lot of property, and placing many traders in danger.
Governor Sakaja arrived on the scene with the intention of assessing the damage and providing the impacted traders with guarantees of support. But as a group of irate market traders and locals gathered, things gradually became more tense. The community threw stones at the governor and his entourage in protest, believing that they had been neglected for a long time and that their response to earlier occurrences had been insufficient.
Witnesses reported that the situation deteriorated rapidly, with chants of disapproval and demands for immediate action from the county government. “We are tired of empty promises. Every time there is a fire, we lose everything, and nothing changes,” one trader lamented amidst the chaos.
Security guards moved quickly to control the throng and safeguard the governor, taking him out of the dangerous area. Although there were no significant injuries recorded, the episode highlighted the merchants’ obvious irritation and desperation. Governor Sakaja reaffirmed his commitment to restoring the market and attending to the concerns of the traders in a statement that was later made public. He also offered his sincere sympathies for the victims of the fire. “I recognize the suffering and rage felt by the people of Toi Market. The statement said, “We’ll make sure that they receive timely support and that precautions be taken to avoid similar occurrences in the future.
Investigations are ongoing to determine what caused the incident, while preliminary findings point to an electrical malfunction as a potential culprit. The impacted traders are requesting immediate action and practical assistance to enable them to restore their means of subsistence.
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