Several traders in Machakos county are counting losses after their businesses were raided and property worth millions of shillings looted during the anti–government demonstrations on Tuesday.
Those who spoke to the Star on Wednesday expressed their frustration as they narrated how they lost their livelihoods to the demonstrators.
They said it was unbelievable for them to lose their businesses worth millions of shillings and which they had nurtured for years just in less than 20 minutes or so.
“My club and liquor depot was broken into and liquor worth Sh3.5 million stolen during the demonstrations," Felister Mueni said.
Her business, Gaslight club and wines and spirits wholesale store is located in Mlolongo.
"Other than alcohol, they made away with other items like chairs including computers which I was using to manage the business,” she added.
She said more than 500 goons broke into the premises located along the Nairobi–Mombasa highway during the chaotic demonstrations.
Mueni said she had suffered unimaginable losses in the business she had nurtured since 2018.
She said the goons took away CCTV servers thereby concealing evidence on their criminal activities.
“I was watching the looting incident on my phone’s CCTV application until they disconnected it and made away with the server. They swept my club and liquor outlet store clean with nothing left,” Mueni said.
She said television sets were also stolen from the business premises.
The looters also raided an adjacent hotel and ate food, stole cooking apparatus, utensils and furniture among other items.
The joint's manager, Becky, said nobody expected that the business could be broken into and looted during the nationwide protests.
“The looters came from nowhere and broke into the premises that was closed during the incident. We called the police but they delayed to respond,” Becky said.
She said some locals tried to help repulse the looters but were overpowered due to their high numbers.
Becky said a butchery within the same establishment was also broken into and looted.
“Butchery machinery, equipment, meat and everything was also stolen. We have nothing for now,” she said.
Becky said the incident had left at least 10 of their employees jobless.
They include six bar attendants, two butchery attendants and a solder alongside herself.
“We have reported the matter at Mlolongo police station. Our CCTV backup was also stolen by the looters,” Becky said.
She said the joint had been looted during previous demonstrations.
“They broke into a fridge in front of the bar and stole liquor worth Sh80, 000,” Becky said.
Chris Bitok, Mueni’s landlord, said locals helped restrain the looters but were overpowered.
Bitok said the hooligans caused lots of psychological torture to his tenants as well as material loss worth millions.
Other than breakages, the buildings’ window panes were stoned during the break-in.
“Police officers were here, but never intervened. When we asked them why they couldn’t shoot in the air to scare away the looters, they said they had orders not to shoot. So, we are wondering who will protect us with our properties, my tenants have been robbed and buildings destroyed,” Bitok said.
A resident narrated how he was attacked after he attempted to rescue a woman whose phone was being snatched by a goon in Mlolongo phase 3 at about 7.15pm Tuesday.
The victim who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal sustained injuries on the head and leg.
“I was on my way home when I found a woman being robbed by a goon. The thug hit me on the head and leg when I attempted to rescue the victim. Both the women and myself were rescued by locals who heard our distress call,” he said.
The suspect was lynched by irate members of the public who later recovered the woman’s phone. Police removed the body to a mortuary.
The Star established that at least three suspected thugs were lynched on that day.
Machakos County Police Commander Patrick Lobolia acknowledged that the demostrations were infiltrated by goons across the county.
“The so called picketing became nonpeaceful when stones are thrown, people looting other people’s property and when people start to block roads,” Lobolia said.
He ordered that all demonstrations to end by 6.30pm in Machakos county.
“We want the demonstrators to follow the law and disperse by 6.30pm during their protests. You will be risking past that time since it’s being infiltrated by criminals which is dangerous not only to innocent Kenyans, but yourselves, protesters too,” Lobolia said.
He warned that those found breaching the law during the protests including picketing past the stated time will be arrested and charged in court of law.