Gikomba Market Redevelopment Hits 75 Percent as Traders Await Return

Construction of the new Gikomba Market complex in Nairobi has reached 75 percent completion, with three commercial blocks now standing along the Nairobi River, less than four months after demolitions cleared the site.

President William Ruto shared footage of the ongoing works, showing scaffolding, concrete flooring and partially completed structures at the site, with roughly 207 workers currently engaged in construction.

The first phase of the project, costing about Sh800 million (approximately $6.2 million), is designed to accommodate 5,000 traders once complete, part of a broader Sh5 billion (approximately $38.8 million) modernisation plan for the market.

The redevelopment falls under the Nairobi River Regeneration Programme, a joint initiative between the national and Nairobi county governments aimed at restoring the river ecosystem while upgrading trading infrastructure along its banks.

More than 6,300 traders were enumerated and temporarily relocated ahead of construction, according to Housing and Urban Development Principal Secretary Charles Hinga, who said the government would cover all relocation costs incurred.

Some traders previously reported paying thousands of shillings for temporary stalls at holding grounds such as Kamukunji, with officials pledging reimbursement for those costs once verified.

Gikomba Market Traders Association chairman Mbugua Kibathi has said the market generates between 10 and 15 percent of Nairobi County's economic output, describing it as one of the city's key economic engines.

Traders at the site now expect to move into the new facility within roughly two months, according to accounts shared during a recent tour, though block three still requires an additional floor before completion.

The project follows years of recurring fires at the original Gikomba site, which traders and officials have linked to overcrowding, poor infrastructure and, in some cases, alleged political interference tied to land disputes.

Construction of the full market redevelopment is planned in four phases, according to earlier government statements, with the current works representing only the initial stage of the broader Sh5 billion plan.

Reactions to the project have remained divided online, with some Kenyans expressing optimism over the transformation while others have referenced past market redevelopment projects elsewhere in the country that failed to meet expectations after completion.

Officials have not yet detailed timelines for the remaining three phases of the Gikomba redevelopment beyond the current construction stage nearing completion.