“Malipo ni Hapa hapa duniani” Fire razes down a business empire, as Nairobians celebrate

A suspected conman is counting heavy losses after a fire razed a section of shops along Luthuli Avenue in Nairobi, just days after he allegedly defrauded a woman of Ksh50,000 in a television deal that went wrong.

Firefighters battled the blaze for hours as thick smoke engulfed the busy electronics strip, destroying merchandise and forcing neighbouring traders to shut down. Police said investigations are underway to establish the cause of the fire and to assess the damage.

The woman at the centre of the alleged con said she had bought a TCL television from one of the shops but later discovered the item was not what she had paid for. When she returned to seek a refund, she claims the seller turned hostile and chased her away.

“I went back with the receipt and the box. He refused to listen and told me to leave his shop,” she said. “I felt cheated and humiliated. I just wanted my money back.”

According to the woman, she later sought help after feeling she had exhausted all ordinary options.

“I was told to stay calm and wait. I did not go back to fight or cause chaos,” she said.

When news of the fire broke, she said she was shocked by the coincidence.

“I was at home when people started calling me saying the shop had burned. I did not expect anything like that. I only wanted justice for what was done to me,” she said.

Shop owners along Luthuli Avenue said the affected trader, who has been accused by multiple customers in the past of selling faulty or swapped electronics, lost a large portion of his stock in the blaze. Some neighbouring traders said the losses could run into millions of shillings.  To read more click here