Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja was on Saturday whisked to safety after a section of Kibera residents attacked him with stones.
The governor's visit came to an abrupt end as the crowd attacked him with stones, forcing his security detail to whisk him to safety
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja being pelted with stones (L) and the governor’s security detail using their bodies to shield him while leading him to safety (R)
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Sakaja had gone to Toi market to assess the damage left by a fire that razed down stalls at the famous market on Saturday morning when angry residents accosted him.
The crowd that was at the scene heckled the governor with a section of the crowd hurling stones.
A video seen by Pulse news desk shows Sakaja’s security detail moving in swiftly, shielding him and leading him to safety.
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The governor was taken back to his car with his convoy speeding away, ringing the visit to an abrupt end.
Four reported dead, traders counting millions after Toi fire tragedy on Saturday
In today’s incident, four people are reported to have died in the tragedy with traders counting their losses.
"We had another fire at Toi Market this morning. I have spoken to area MP Peter Orero who confirms four people tragically lost their lives," Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna noted while providing an update on the incident.
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An electric fault is suspected to have caused the fire at around 4am on Saturday morning with traders rushing to the famous market to save what they could.
"An electric fault in one of the wooden houses caused the fire early this morning," a trader impacted by the fire told a section of the press.
Sakaja's leadership on the spot
A section of the crowd accused the governor of poorly managing the county, with basic services not available when they are needed the most.
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Case in point are the Nairobi county fire brigade that have in the past been accused of arriving late or unprepared on a number of occasions when fire incidents are reported in the past.
They also made it clear that they are tired of promises from leaders after every other fire incident with nothing meaningful being done to avert such tragedies in the future.
This was the fifth fire incident reported in recent years, with the previous one having occurred in June 2023.
A fire engulfs Toi Market on Saturday, June 10, 2023. Photo credits: Karali Pics
A fire engulfs Toi Market on Saturday, June 10, 2023. Photo credits: Karali Pics
Pulse Live Kenya
Traders have consequently had to establish their businesses afresh after every tragedy, with politicians camping at the scene with promises that have amounted to nothing much.
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The Nairobi County Government’s firefighters arrived at the scene to put out the fire.
Although the Nairobi County Government’s firefighters arrived at the scene, the crowd gathered at the scene was not impressed and claimed that they still arrived late despite being located just a few kilometers from Toi market and at a time when roads were clear, facilitating faster movement of the team on the road.
