Traders at Hagadera Market in Garissa are counting losses after a fire tore through the busy refugee camp market on Monday, October 27, 2025.
The blaze reportedly started at around 11:40 a.m., rapidly spreading and consuming several structures in the market.
Fortunately, the fire was eventually brought under control by the Kenya Red Cross, but not before causing significant damage to shops, pharmacies, restaurants, and other commercial establishments.
Images and videos captured at the scene showed thick smoke billowing from the market, with traders desperately trying to save their goods. Residents and traders used water and improvised tools to fight the flames in the absence of an immediate response from official fire emergency services.
The traders are now calling for the establishment of a reliable emergency response system to prevent similar disasters in the future.
At the time of reporting, the total value of the losses remained undetermined, but no casualties have been reported.
Tragically, this marks the sixth fire to hit Hagadera Market in recent years. The causes of these frequent fires remain unclear, and the lack of timely emergency response has been a recurring concern.
A similar blaze occurred just ten months ago, in December, which also caused substantial damage and drew criticism from local residents over inadequate fire-fighting services.
The Kenya Red Cross, which responded to Monday’s fire, confirmed that no injuries were recorded during the incident.
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