Fire Guts Konyokonyo Market In Juba

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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The fire that started at around 5pm consumed the largest market in Juba into ashes leaving many bread winners stranded.

Traders from different countries are already robed of their wealth and those who tried to save their properties before the raging fire could engulf their shops were not spared by the thieves either.

The fire that continued until yester morning saw property worth millions after fire started in the market.

Speaking to one of the traders at the scene, Terif Saidi said that all his property is lost and that he has nothing to do.

At least three traders are reported to have collapsed on seeing their properties up in flames.

Traders wailed helplessly as they saw their properties burn with very little rescued.

Despite the presence of the fire brigade at the scene, it could not stop the fire from extending to the rest of the shops within the market.

According to the Deputy Mayor of Juba Mr. David Lokonga Moses, “we need to deeply investigate why these markets are burning. We want to form a committee to find out the course of the fire, who is the owner of the shop among other things,” said Lokonga.

He said the city council is in dilemma while it plans to build new market structures. Lokonga said there are no open roads in the market to allow the fire bridge to rescue the situation.

This is not the first time that Konykonyo market is burning but this one is the biggest.

The fire bridge tried their best but could not contain the fire where millions of dollars have been lost.

The City Council is looking to build all markets in Juba with concrete to accommodate all traders. He said there are companies who have applied to build the markets but the Council is still reviewing their applications.

Christine Kiden described the burning of the market as “death” to her family and that she was stranded since she fed her family from proceeds of her business that has now been brought to an end by the fire.

Kiden is now appealing to the government to compensate those who lost their property in the fire.

Supa Fatuma, a Ugandan business woman in Konyokonyo market said that she is stranded given that she is the bread winner of her three children.

She called on the South Sudanese government to build a permanent market with low risks of such nature.

Many of those who depend on the market now fear that prices might skyrocket after Juba’s largest market was brought to ashes.

Flora Henry, a frequent customer who gets her commodities from Konyokonyo said, “now that everything has been burnt, we are going to suffer because prices will hit high.”

This is not the first time Konyokonyo market is in flames, but this is the worst of all times. The root cause of the fire has not yet been established.