- A video clip shot during the looting incident seen by the Star shows looters running from the two joints and carrying different items including cooking oil. Children were also captured looting.
- Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr condemned hooliganism during demonstrations asserting that no criminals and their activities will be tolerated in the county.
Image: HANDOUT
A politician’s supermarket and hotel have been raided and looted by anti-government demonstrators in Makueni County.
The properties; Eden Mart Supermarket and Eden Hotel, both belonging to James Mbaluka were broken into and raided during the protests at Emali town on Thursday.
Mbaluka who in 2022 contested for the Kibwezi West MP seat on a UDA party ticket, but lost is said to have been in the town when the incident happened at around midday.
Both the supermarket and hotel are located in the same building, Eden Mall, along the busy Nairobi – Mombasa way.
Eyewitnesses told the Star that the demonstrations that began at around 10 am were initially peaceful before they turned chaotic.
“I doubt whether the looting was premeditated. The demonstrators seemed not to have had any plan to invade the businesses until a group of youths attempted to disrupt the peaceful protests,” an eyewitness told the Star by phone hours after the incident.
There are claims that a faction of youths had been paid by unnamed persons to stop the demonstrations after the demonstrators barricaded the highway near one of the banks within Emali town.
“Some goons are said to have been paid to go stop the demonstrations after the protesters closed the highway using stones and lit live fires. That’s when the protestors turned violent and proceeded to the supermarket and hotel and swept them clean. All goods were stolen from the businesses,” another witness told the Star.
A video clip shot during the looting incident seen by the Star shows looters running from the two joints and carrying different items including cooking oil. Children were also captured looting.
The Star couldn’t immediately establish circumstances that led to the invasion of the politician’s property.
A source claimed that police officers who responded to the incident in at least four motor vehicles were overpowered by the protesters making them call for re-enforcement.
“More police officers moved in and fired teargas canisters at the demonstrators. They unblocked a section of the highway that had been barricaded by the protester allowing free flow of traffic. Normalcy has since returned in the town,” a source said.
Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr condemned hooliganism during demonstrations asserting that no criminals and their activities will be tolerated in the county.
“Sikubaliani na wale ambao wanachoma mali ya watu. Siwezi kubali watu wanataabika, wanajenga mahoteli, mabiashara na wanachomewa. Huyo ni kitu mbaya sana, ni laana kuchoma mali ya watu,” Mutula Jr said.
“I condemn those torching people’s properties, we can’t burn people’s properties. No! no! no!,” Mutula Jr said.
There was, however, normalcy in other towns along the busy Nairobi – Mombasa Highway including Mlolongo where violence was reported during Tuesday's demonstrations.
In Mlolongo, businesses ran normally with the presence of heavily armed police officers along the highway and in critical installations with intensified patrols. The same situation was witnessed along the Nairobi – Namanga highway and in Kitengela town, Kajiado County.
Some schools, especially private day ones, instructed their learners and teachers to stay at home today for fear of the uknown, they had anticipated demonstrations which never took place.