A week after Thika's Madaraka Market in Makongeni was razed by unknown arsonists, traders at the market still have difficult decisions to make on the future of their businesses.
Majority of them lost goods worth millions of shillings in the inferno. While some have opted to push on and pick themselves up from the ashes once again, some like Geoffrey Muchina have opted to change base and even the business they were doing altogether.
Muchina, who was a wholesale potato and onions trader before the breath-taking incidence, has since relocated to Thika Town Centre where he is now doing a fruits business.
"I relocated here on Thursday last week after a friend of mine who was moving to Murang'a town left me this space," said Muchina on Sunday when we met him at his new workplace.
Muchina says that last week's incidence was the third time he was losing stock in such a manner recounting two other similar incidences that took place not too long ago.
"They say once bitten twice shy. For me, I have been bitten for too many times and I couldn't risk for the fourth time. I had to take a small Sacco loan to be able to start this fruits business as I couldn't afford to continue with the business I was doing before," Muchina said.
He says that he considers the town centre to be much safer and is optimistic he will be able to rise up again in the new fruits venture and continue to cater for his family.