A fire broke out during the night between Saturday and Sunday and a large part of the largest market on the Kenyan coast was reduced to ashes.
Shopkeepers, street vendors and market operators in Kongowea in Mombasa are counting losses in millions of shillings after the huge damage estimated in the morning. For many, this is the only source of livelihood, thanks to the few hundred shillings earned every day, two or three euros on average, which must be enough to support the whole family.
According to witnesses, the fire broke out around midnight in the part of the second-hand clothes stalls, the so-called mitumba. Some swear that they heard a loud explosion in the Matopeni area, where some fixed and partly concrete and sheet metal structures were also attacked by the fire. The fire brigade arrived in time to put out the flames but soon ran out of water.
The police launched the investigation to understand the origin of the fire. Mombasa County Vice Governor William Kingi, who arrived on the scene, promised that those significantly affected by this disaster will be helped to rebuild their businesses. The Kongowea market in Nyali is the commercial hub at the entrance to the city, arriving from Malindi. In addition to used and new clothes, there is a large fruit and vegetable market and also electronics and household utensils retailers.