The stench of charred timber and lost livelihoods hangs heavy over Jogoo Road this morning. In a suspicious midnight inferno, the iconic furniture market has been reduced to ashes, sparking furious allegations of arson linked to a bitter dispute over government land earmarked for affordable housing.

Traders stood helpless as millions of shillings in stock—sofas, beds, and handcrafted timber—were consumed by the flames on Friday night. But this was no ordinary fire. Whispers on the ground point to a sinister motive: a scorched-earth policy to evict traders from land that the government claims is being illegally occupied.

The Housing vs. Heritage Conflict

The tragedy at Jogoo Road is a microcosm of a wider battle for Nairobi's soul.

• Targeted Destruction? Traders allege the fire was set to clear the way for affordable housing projects, bypassing legal eviction processes.
• Livelihoods Lost: Hundreds of families who rely on the market have been destitute overnight.
• A Pattern of Fires: This incident mirrors similar fires in Gikomba, raising questions about the weaponization of arson in land disputes.

A City on Edge

As investigators sift through the debris, the anger is palpable. "They want the land, not the people," one trader cried out. The government's push for development is colliding violently with the informal economy. If this was indeed arson, it is a crime not just against property, but against the struggling heart of the city's workforce.