Chaos and lawlessness were witnessed along Mombasa town on Tuesday as the peaceful protests turned into running battles. The anti-government protests are believed to have been infiltrated by goons who stabbed and robbed people in broad daylight. Businessmen are counting losses as a lot of them were looted in the demonstrations that started last week.
Nyali MP Mohammed Ali stated the vandalism that was witnessed in the coastal county. He called on all stakeholders to call for an end to the protests, adding that the President has heard the cries and plans for dialogue are in place. “What we witnessed today in Mombasa and some parts of our country including Nairobi, Migori, Kisumu, and Kisii is no longer Gen Z-related,”
“Goons infiltrated the planned demonstrations and torched vehicles, robbed innocent women and men while on motorbikes and vandalised businesses which is a clear indication that there are other forces at play that seek to see this country burn and undo over 60 years of development,” he added.
Videos shared on social media platforms showed goons vandalizing businesses in various parts of the country. In Mombasa, at least 5 vehicles were set ablaze.
Different leaders have condemned the violent acts and called an end to the protests which were causing millions of losses on a daily.
DCI boss, Mohamed Amin, also stated the same. He said a special team has been dispatched already and is pursuing members of the public, believed to be goons, who are on record violently robbing innocent Kenyans.
Hotel Businesses Among those affected by Gen Z Protests
Hoteliers and tourism industry stakeholders in the country are also worried about their fate. Word has it that they have started receiving cancellations which could deal a blow to the profitable sector.
Cancellations could have a huge impact on the country’s travel and tourism industry, which heavily depends on the international market, with tourism also being a key foreign exchange earner for the country. Kenya earns up to KSh 352.5 B (last year) in international arrivals. This is about a 32% increase as visitors surged to 1.96 M from 1.48 M visitors in 2022 according to the Tourism Research Institute (TRI). The gains will be reversed if the vandalism and insecurity due to the protests are not contained.
Nairobi Youth Business Community (NYBC), who held a press briefing on Monday, said their members are suffering losses after goons infiltrated the anti-Finance Bill protests and looted them silly. They want the culprits captured by CCTV footage to be brought to book as they are counting losses. They added that the business community lost over KSh3 B over the unprovoked vandalism and looting on the day of the protest.
A trail of destruction has been witnessed in many towns since the demonstrations over the infamous Finance Bill started. Cars were torched, businesses were looted and many people lost their lives.
The current calls of “Ruto Must Go” have provided a new avenue for protests and the wave is starting to worry business owners and the general public over infiltration by unknown forces set to derail the demonstration spirit. We are yet to see the way forward by the government but as it stands, billions have been lost and more losses are yet to be documented.
