Raila alleges foul play in Nairobi’s Toi market inferno

The former Prime Minister Rail Odinga has claimed that the morning inferno that razed a huge section of Nairobi’s Toi Market in Kibera was an arson.

According to the African Union (AU) special envoy of infrastructure and development in Africa, land grabbers are behind the fire that destroyed property worth millions of shillings.

“Nimeita Gavana [Mike Sonko] anakuja hapa sasa hivi. Hii si mara ya kwanza Toi Market kuungua, imechomwa maksudi…kuna wale wanyakuzi na nina uhakika wale ndio wamepanga hii njama wakitaka kunyakua uwanja huu.(I have spoken to the Governor and he is on his way here. This is not the first time for Toi Market to burn down, but it is no accident, this fire was planned and executed by land grabbers),” said Mr Odinga to the affected traders and local community.

“I am sure that they (land grabbers) are behind this fire incident. They want to burn down the market, come with the police force and start constructions, I want to to tell that will not happen,” charged Mr Odinga.

Mr Odinga, a former Member of Parliament for Kibra constituency, visited the market place after fire fighters had managed to put out the fire that broke out at 3am on Tuesday.

“We will not accept and allow the greedy individuals to frustrate our poor people who make a living from this market. We won’t allow no one to build in this parcel of land. Further we want to upgrade this market place for the traders,” he added.

[ Read: Millions of shillings lost as Nairobi’s Toi market razed down ]

Reconstruction of the market has commenced with Mr Odinga citing that iron sheets have been brought together with security agencies to guard the traders rebuilding their burnt stalls.

He further condemned the arson in strongest terms possible that has happened for the second time.

In 2014, fire outbreak occurred at the market leaving behinds millions of losses. The incident was filled with land grabbing speculation by traders and the Kibra community.