A group of young protesters stormed and looted a supermarket associated with businessman James Mbaluka, a close ally of President William Ruto, in Emali on Thursday, July 4, 2024.
The incident occurred around noon during a protest that saw hundreds of youth gather and march along the Mombasa-Nairobi highway.
Protesters ransacked the supermarket, stealing goods of unknown value, overwhelming the security officers on duty.
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This follows a similar incident earlier in the week in Nyeri Town, Nyeri County, where residents looted the Chieni supermarket, allegedly owned by area MP Njoroge Wainaina.
The residents were incensed by Wainaina's support for the controversial Finance Bill 2024, which they argued would raise the cost of living for many Kenyans.
During the Nyeri incident, locals were seen rushing into the supermarket and leaving with various household items, including bales of maize and wheat flour, liters of cooking oil, and sugar.
They also vandalized the property, throwing stones at windows, tearing apart internal signage, and damaging other furniture. Some protestors are accused of setting fire to the supermarket, causing further damage and loss.
Police responded swiftly, deploying tear gas to disperse the crowd and prevent further damage. There were also allegations of police using live ammunition, although it remains unclear if anyone was injured. Firefighters, with the help of police officers, managed to extinguish the fire.