A long-running land dispute at Toi Market in Kibra, Nairobi County, has stalled a planned Sh100 million facelift , even as recurring fires, trader unrest and competing ownership claims deepen uncertainty over one of Nairobi’s busiest informal markets.
The market, sitting on a four-acre parcel and largely made up of iron-sheet structures and polythene-covered stalls, remains highly vulnerable to fire, a risk that has repeatedly turned into reality.
Fire breaks out at Toi Market in Kibra, Nairobi
When Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja visited the scene, he promised swift intervention, including rebuilding and improving access roads to ease entry for emergency vehicles into the congested market.
“We have assessed the damage and we will help you rebuild,” he said at the time.
When Governor Sakaja returned to the market in the aftermath, he was met with anger.
Yasmin Mubarak (right) and Adelite Aonga sit next to what remains of their business after a fire burnt down their stall at Toi Market in Kibra Stalls on August 3, 2024. The early Saturday morning fire burnt down hundreds of stalls.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu| Nation Media
For many traders, the fires are no longer seen as accidents. Some now believe they are tied to a broader push to displace them from the land.
“We were given a notice and told to move within seven days. We sat down with the management of Woodley Market so that we can get a lasting solution, but now the fire has destroyed everything,” said Ian Wanyonyi, a trader at Toi Market.
Traders claim they are facing pressure from a private developer linked to the nearby Woodley Market to relocate at costs they say are far beyond their reach.
“The space is too expensive for us to afford. They want you to have Sh995,000 so that you can get a space in the new market, and you must also pay a deposit for three months and rent for three months,” Mr Wanyonyi said.
Rowdy youths run away from police officers after traders at Toi Market in Kibra chased away Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja on August 3, 2024 over the slow response of the county fire service in putting out a fire at the market.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu| Nation Media Group
“This is purely an inside job. Some people want us to move so that they can benefit,” said Josephine Mutua, another trader.
The county government has acknowledged the land dispute, which officials say has effectively paralysed any meaningful redevelopment.
Speaking on Monday, Governor Sakaja said investigations into the fires were ongoing, linking some of the incidents to possible arson.
“There is a land dispute around where the market is located and we have already asked the DCI to begin investigations. Most of these fires are as a result of arson. We know that is public land,” he said.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
Since 2023, traders say, fires have become an almost annual occurrence, wiping out their livelihoods, destroying capital and reigniting questions over ownership of the land.
The dispute has also stalled not just the county’s Sh100 million upgrade plan, but a broader modernisation push backed by the national government.
In March 2025, President William Ruto pledged Sh500 million towards upgrading the market into a modern trading hub.
More than a year later, little has moved on the ground.
Acting County Secretary Godfrey Akumali had earlier acknowledged that the land question remains the biggest obstacle.
“You must be aware that one of the major problems facing Toi Market is the land. The land is contested, which means we are unable to start the project as soon as we wanted,” Mr Akumali said.
Traders at Toi market in Kibra after a fire burnt down their shops on 03 August 2024.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
According to county officials, the Lands Department has since initiated a process to reclaim and retitle the land. This includes surveying the area and removing illegal structures along its boundaries in a bid to establish clear ownership.
But for most of the traders, the delays have come at a high cost. Many have rebuilt their stalls multiple times, often using the same temporary materials that make the market vulnerable in the first place.
Others say they are operating under constant fear of another fire, another eviction notice, or both.
Responding to queries on the stalled upgrade, Nairobi County Chief Officer for Markets and Trade Jane Wangui said the project had faced resistance from within the market itself, noting that plans to construct a perimeter wall last year were frustrated after traders declined to allow a contractor to take possession of the site.
“They declined to allow us to construct the perimeter wall, so we left it at that,” she said.
She added that at least six plots within the market remain at the centre of the dispute, with traders alleging they had been grabbed and demanding that their titles be revoked, a matter now before the National Land Commission.
According to Ms Wangui, the county had attempted to push forward with construction on sections of the market not affected by the dispute, but efforts to convince traders to allow work to begin even in those areas did not succeed.
