Gikomba market
Open-air market in Nairobi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gikomba market is an open-air market in Nairobi, Kenya. The market includes sellers of a wide range of goods, including food and clothing.[1][2] It is particularly noted for having a large number of secondhand clothing (mitumba) sellers,[3][4] reported to be the most of any market in the country.[5]
History
Gikomba was founded as early as the 1950s. The market was demolished for a first time in the 1970s.[2] On 16 October 1990 the market was bulldozed by the Kenyan government, because of the prevalence of illegal selling.[6]
The market has seen several fires,[2] notably the "Great Gikomba Fire" on 6 September 2000, which burned for eight hours in the used clothing section of the market.[6] In May 2014, two bombs were set off in the market.[7]
In 2014, the Nairobi government reported that around 65,000 people worked in some capacity in the market, and there were an estimated 10,000 different shops.[3] By 2024, the government reported that 100,000 people worked in the market.[2]
2026 Partial demolishment
On the early morning night of 31 March, Nairobi County authorities demolished part of the market's shoe section following the lapse of a 30 day notice.[8] This was after the 2026 Kenya floods which included flooding of areas near water banks with officials saying the move would reduce the dangers posed by future such disasters.[9] The move was criticized for lack of alternative plans for the merchants.[8][9]