The market accommodated about 200 stalls laden with cultural commodities ranging from clothes to shoes and carvings.

Attempts by owners of the stalls to save some of their commodities proved futile following hooligans disappearing in darkness with goods they had saved.

One of the owners of the stalls, Mr Bariki Ngowo, lamented that he had just secured a commercial bank loan he spent on buying the cultural goods ahead of Christmas only to see them reduced to ashes.

The secretary of the market, Mr Mussa Kalulu, narrated that they had closed their stalls at 6pm and went home, but shortly thereafter he received a call informing him of the inferno.

“Much as the market was not connected to electricity, we’re surprised what could have caused the fire. But some eyewitnesses said it started behind the market,” he said.

Mr Kalulu said they deliberately rejected the idea of connecting electricity to the market, given most of their commodities being made of wood.

A resident of Sekei in the city, Ms Veronica Samuel, who also operates a stall at the market, said she could not tell the exact value of her commodities, but she invested in new goods each time she made a profit.

A woman whose name could not be established immediately said she sold goods valued at Sh2 million each day and used to keep her sales at the market.

In another development, the outgoing Arusha regional commissioner, Mr Magesa Mulongo, threatened to take stern measures against the fire brigade here allegedly for negligence.

The fire brigade officials failed to extinguish the fire that erupted a stone throw from their offices on grounds that their vans lacked water.

It was at around 9pm on Monday when the market caught fire, but the fire fighters reportedly arrived at the scene one hour later with some of them seemingly tipsy.

SOURCE: THE CITIZEN