Return stolen goods or else! Kirinyaga traders issue 14-day ultimatum to looters following Saba Saba chaos
The ultimatum followed a meeting held on Thursday, at Wanguru International Stadium, where over 2,000 traders gathered under the leadership of their chairman, Anthony Mucheke.
Business owners in Kagumo and Kagio towns, Kirinyaga County, have given residents who looted supermarkets during the Saba Saba protests a 14-day deadline to return the stolen items or face further action.
The ultimatum followed a meeting held on Thursday at Wanguru International Stadium, where over 2,000 traders gathered under the leadership of their chairman, Anthony Mucheke.
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The meeting focused on assessing the damage, finding ways to protect their businesses in the future, and recovering what had been stolen during the recent unrest.
In a firm warning to looters, the traders put up posters across the county instructing those involved in the theft to return the stolen property before the end of the 14-day window. The response was swift. Before the end of Thursday, some residents had already started returning items.
"Several items have been dropped near the supermarkets, others dropped in police stations and along the roads," said one of the drivers who was helping transport the returned items in Kagio town.
According to Mucheke, the losses suffered by the traders have been estimated at over Sh200 million. He said that the attacks on businesses were not the work of genuine protesters but of individuals who saw an opportunity to steal.
"We were caught off guard, but right now we have organised ourselves. We discovered that those were not protesters but criminals," he said.
Charles Njiru, a well-known businessman in Kirinyaga, said his property, worth more than Sh50 million, was looted after his supermarket was broken into during the chaos.
"I couldn't believe to see the local people taking advantage of the situation, even some of my former employees who left their jobs on my premises," Njiru added.
The traders’ decision to mobilise and demand accountability comes as businesses across the country count the cost of the widespread protests.
In Kirinyaga, the damage has left many business owners frustrated and determined to recover what they can while ensuring better preparedness for any future unrest.
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