- Gikomba Market is getting three modern blocks to improve safety and trading conditions.
- Phase One will provide stalls for up to 7,000 traders.
- The complex will feature a day care centre, ICT hub and fire station.
Nairobi’s Gikomba Market is undergoing a major transformation, with three multi-storey blocks rising as the government replaces its congested structures with a modern commercial complex to boost safety and trading conditions.
Interior Principal Secretary (PS) Raymond Omollo issued an update on the project on August 19, 2026. He said Phase One of the redevelopment is progressing well, with roofing and internal installations currently underway.
The project aims to tackle longstanding challenges at the market, including frequent fires, flooding, congestion and inadequate infrastructure.
“Gikomba, the largest open air market in Nairobi and the country, is undergoing a major transformation from a congested, makeshift trading hub into a modern commercial complex. Its crowded structures have for years made the market vulnerable to perennial fires and flooding, challenges the Government is now addressing through a comprehensive upgrade,” PS Omollo wrote on X.
Clearance paves way for new facilities
The redevelopment follows the clearance of informal timber structures along the Nairobi River corridor. This cleared the way for construction of the new facilities.
Phase One is expected to accommodate up to 7,000 traders in well ventilated, numbered multi level stalls, giving businesses a more organised environment.
“Following the initial clearance of informal timber structures along the Nairobi River corridor earlier this year, Phase One of the project is advancing well. Three massive multi-storey market blocks have risen on site, with roofing and internal installations underway. The first phase will provide well ventilated, numbered multi-level stalls for up to 7,000 traders, including a fish processing zone for about 300 traders,” he added.
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The complex will also include a day care centre, modern kitchens, sanitation facilities, an ICT hub, a youth community centre, basement parking, waste collection points and an integrated fire station.
The project is linked to the Nairobi Rivers Regeneration Programme, with retaining walls being built to strengthen the riverbanks. Plans also include recreational spaces and sports fields along the rehabilitated waterway.
The government expects the redevelopment to create a safer, more functional environment for traders and shoppers, while strengthening emergency response and improving the appearance of one of Nairobi’s busiest commercial centres.
The State Department for Internal Security and National Administration will support the transformation through enhanced security and inter agency coordination. This is meant to keep the upgraded market orderly and secure, so the investment delivers lasting benefits to traders and the wider public.
By Bernard Magada
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