The high cost of demos as traders grapple with lost sales and looters

A youthful man flings a 13kg LPG gas cylinder from the ground over to his left shoulder in a split second at Rubis Filling Station, Kitengela, and sprints away, melting into the crowd.

Another one is seen trying the impossible task of fitting two two-litre soda bottles in the pockets of his jacket. A lady in a white top with her jacket tightly wrapped around her waist seems to be hovering aimlessly, seemingly lost in the two-litre orange soda.

These chaotic scenes unfolded in Kitengela, Kajiado County, on Tuesday as young people once again expressed their anger and dissatisfaction with President William Ruto's administration.

As usual during such protests, businesses suffered. Kitengela's Rubis Filling Station was looted, along with nearby businesses, including Chicken Inn, where protestors helped themselves to food and drinks.

Sadam Hassan, the manager at Rubis, said protestors threw stones at them, forcing them to flee for their lives. Although some good Samaritans eventually intervened, the damage was already done.

"They forced themselves in the offices and vandalised everything," said Mr Hassan.

Goons are reported to have infiltrated the initially peaceful protests that began on June 18. These protests initially demanded the rejection of the controversial Finance Bill 2024, which was withdrawn that same week. Last week, President Ruto went further by firing his Cabinet.

However, the leaderless Gen Z movement remains unsatisfied, with one of their demands being the president's resignation.

As the protests continue every Tuesday and Thursday, business owners are facing losses, either from a lack of sales or from vandalism of their premises and goods.

"We are looking at a loss of Sh3 million since the protests started," said Hassan.

A few weeks ago at the height of the protests, Cleanshelf Supermarkets in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County, was among the businesses that were broken into as police fought off protesters who were also marching towards the Naivas outlet. This is the clash that saw a 12-year-old boy die from police-inflicted gunshots.

"These are thugs who are taking advantage of demonstrations. They stormed and looted goods. Fortunately, our officers arrested 56 of them," said Kajiado North Sub-County Police Commander Hussein Abduba.

Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura yesterday said figures from the Kenya Revenue Authority indicate that the economy has lost Sh6 billion as a result of business disruption due to demos.

He said the government regretted the "occasional recurrence of demonstrations that is detrimental to business activities".

"We cannot forget business people who have suffered huge losses as their businesses remain closed during the demonstrations losing billions of shillings," he said. "We wish to empathise with them as they try to recoup their lost incomes."

He added: "If the protests continue, the economy will have a negative impact in this financial year. This year we have a huge hole following the rejection of the Finance Bill that was to raise Sh346 billion and the pending bills worth Sh220 billion."

Unlike other protests that have predominantly taken place in Nairobi as witnessed previously in 2017 after the August General Elections, as well as in 2022 once President Ruto took office in September, the latest string of demonstrations are devolved, affecting even small businesses and traders in county towns.

A day before the Tuesday protest, business owners in Kabarnet, Baringo County, met to deliberate how to protect their livelihood against possible vandalism by protestors.

They implored the youth to steer away from destroying property, urging them to present their grievances to the relevant office.

"The youth are free to protest but we want peaceful demonstrations. They can go to the governor's office and present their grievances. We do not want the kind of demonstrations we have seen in Nairobi where goons infiltrate and destroy property," said Brigid Kelunya, Kabarnet market chairperson.

In recent years, businesses in the country have had almost no respite as protests erupt after nearly every General Election, disrupting their operations.

During the height of the anti-IEBC protests after the first round of the 2017 elections, businesses came to a standstill as Opposition leader Raila Odinga called for the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission before the October repeat presidential elections.