Protests aftermath: Businesses counting losses after looting, destruction

Business owners and traders are counting losses following anti-tax protests on Tuesday, June 25.

In Nairobi Central Business District (CBD), Sunbeam Shopping Complex, Cianda Market, RNG Plaza and Naivas supermarket suffered major destruction, including looting.

At RNG Plaza for example, business owners say looters took around 30 minutes to break into the complex which had been closed due to the protests.

On popular video app Tiktok, a business woman by the moniker Shiquo hi styles, informed her clients that she would be starting over as her business had been looted. The lady who sells imported clothes and shoes at RNG Plaza, has gained popularity for her marketing skills on the app, earning half a million followers. Prior to the protests, she was selling t-shirts labelled, ‘How can you teargas a baddie?’

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“Starting again from square one,” she said.

Property at the newly revamped Uhuru Park was also vandalised with an aeroplane model placed at the centre of the park brought down in pieces.

Meanwhile, office owners at Uganda House, Nairobi claim a fire that razed part of the building was caused by a teargas canister. The building was under renovation and was due for occupation in the coming weeks.

Lawyer Danstan Omari, who has an office in the building, said he and other lawyers would sue the government for the damages.

A number of businesses along Mfangano street were also vandalised with Sunbeam razed.

A club linked to Kapseret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi, Club Timba XO in Eldoret was also looted and property destroyed.

In Nyeri Town, Chieni supermarket, linked to Kieni MP Njoroge Wainaina was looted.