Business owners recount massive losses after premises raided during anti-Finance Bill protests

The Kenyan business community has decried this week's Anti-Finance Bill demonstrations which saw multiple businesses looted by rogue protesters in various parts of the country.

The business men and women, many of whom ran small businesses which are yet to take off and had just started posting profits, have now said that the Tuesday unrest, which saw protesters breach Parliament grounds and even set City Hall ablaze, left them buried in incalculable losses after some errant protesters turned rogue, effectively turning their businesses into chaotic playgrounds of wanton thievery and destruction.

From Nairobi to Nyeri, Embu to Eldoret, what started as an otherwise peaceful gathering of crowds quickly turned into a ball of lawlessness as goons and mischievous rogues poured into the streets with the sole intention of destroying livelihoods, plunging businessmen to losses and denying Kenyans their daily bread.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, Chris Njagi, the General Manager at Baniyas Square, a nightclub in Eldoret, explained the unimaginable loss he incurred after goons raided his premises, plundering it and sweeping it clean of any valuable on sight.

There, chaotic anarchists went ahead and plundered the entire facility - they stole the kitchen machinery, took away all the sound systems, broke the CCTV cameras, stole the POS system and broke into the fridges, cleaning them of all the stored beers.

"I personally watched as the madness unfolded...Crowds of young men running away with stolen beers and soft drinks, people forcing their way in, people carrying away stolen television sets, people just doing as they wished for hours," he said.

"It got even worse as they stormed into the kitchen and wiped it clean, looting all the kitchenware, all the groceries, refrigerated meats, breaking into the freezer and smashing the counter to pieces."

Njagi continued to say that the establishment employs over 100 people and was put up through blood and sweat, adding that the nightclub lost property estimated at Ksh.40 million.

"Some of us took loans to put up these businesses. We are still servicing these loans. Baniyas is less than a year old. I could never imagine such a horror even in my wildest dreams. We are honest businessmen and did not deserve this cruelty," he added.

"We are now staring at losses amounting to over Ksh.40 million. This is obviously a nightmare to even the most established business."

The businessman went on to urge protesters to exercise restraint and maintain the initial non-violent stance they had adopted when the protests began.

"I wish we could remain as peaceful as when we started. I saw crowds telling the police that they come in peace. I don't know what happened to that. We started off well. Kenyan business people did not anticipate such incredible losses," he lamented.

At Eldoret, yet another club, Timba XO, which has been associated with Kapseret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi, was raided and extensively looted with the photos and videos trending online.

In Nairobi, a business complex along Mfangano Street, as well as Uganda House, were also set ablaze - the building in downtown Nairobi burning to ashes with all the stalls, numbering over 700, going up in flames.

Margaret Githinji, the owner of Executive Beddings, a shop in downtown Nairobi, explained her losses, even asking clients to help her get back on her feet again.

"Just to inform you my clients that our building along Mfangano Street was razed down by goons after looting, Kindly pray for us," she wrote.

Githinji went on to reveal that she lost goods worth Ksh.5 million. She has now shared her number publicly, asking well-wishers to help her get back on her feet again.

In Nyeri, Kieni Member of Parliament Njoroge Wainaina said he incurred losses worth millions of shillings following the destruction of his businesses.

The lawmaker noted that he suffered losses amounting to Ksh.550 million during the Tuesday protests after his supermarket in Kieni was razed down.

These included stock worth Ksh.450 million and equipment such as bakery shelves estimated to cost around Ksh.100 million.

"The scrap metal dealers are now scavenging for the metallic stands that remained after the inferno even as the employees have been left jobless," he told The Standard, pointing out that he had 350 employees.