Gikomba demolitions leave traders in agony, pain
Nairobi
By
Juliet Omelo
| Apr 01, 2026
The makeshift stalls that once lined the lower sections of Gikomba Market were reduced to rubble overnight on Monday, leaving hundreds of traders stranded as bulldozers moved in under heavy security.
By dawn, traders arrived to find their timber structures flattened, goods buried under debris and years of investment wiped out in hours.
Many traders said they had not expected the demolitions to happen at night and expressed frustration over what they described as abrupt action.
“We knew there was a notice, but we did not think it would happen like this,” said Christopher Mogaka,standing beside the remains of his stall.
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Others complained that alternative spaces were inadequate, overcrowded or being allocated unfairly.
Market officials defended the operation, insisting it was necessary to reclaim riparian land along the seasonal stream that cuts across the busy market.
They said prolonged encroachment had fuelled congestion, environmental risks and repeated fire outbreaks.
“This was a compulsory step. No structure can legally stand on riparian land. If we do not clear it, we will continue experiencing fires, blocked drainage and hazardous conditions,’’ said Judith Nyangi,the chairlady of the demolished shoe market section.
Officials explained that the clearances would pave the way for a multi-storey market that has been in planning for months. They insisted that enumerated traders would be returned to permanent spaces once construction was complete.
Deputy Governor Njoroge Bushiri, who toured the site on Tuesday, reinforced the county’s position, saying the long-term goal was to ensure traders work in safer, well-planned environments.
“This government has decided to change the formula so that people can have a proper place to work, Everyone who has a stall at Gikomba will return once a modern market is completed. The money is coming from a partnership between the National Government and the County Government,’’ he said.
Bushiri urged traders to cooperate with ongoing surveys and temporary relocations, saying resistance was being fuelled by misinformation. “Those who discourage traders from moving are not acting in their interest. The work has already started, and we have the equipment and the funding to complete it,’’ he added.
Principal Secretary for Trade and Industry Charles Hinga said the operation was part of the Nairobi Rivers Regeneration Programme and a broader modernisation plan for markets across the city.
He said Sh 3.8 billion had been set aside for projects around the Gikomba corridor, with an additional Sh 5 billion for market reconstruction in phases.
“There is no law in Kenya that allows anyone to occupy riparian land,” the PS said.
He added that traders themselves had agreed to surrender an additional 20 metres beyond the mandatory riparian zone to enable the construction of a ground-plus-three-storey market.
“This will accommodate far more traders than the informal stalls that previously existed,’’ Hinga noted.
The PS also addressed complaints that traders were charged between Sh 5,000 and Sh 7,000 for temporary spaces, saying that traders will be refunded.
“We have enumerated 6,372 traders, and anyone who paid to relocate will be reimbursed,” he said, noting the issue had been escalated.
Despite the disruptions and visible frustration on Tuesday, officials emphasised that traders would return to the reconstructed market within months.
‘’This is not about displacement,” Bushiri said. “It is about creating dignified spaces where business can thrive safely,’’ he said.