Nairobi CBD traders reel from protest chaos
An electronic shop along Moi Avenue vandalized and electronics of unknown value robbed during the protests on June 17, 2025.
Some businesses across Nairobi’s Central Business District remained closed on Wednesday, a day after protests descended into chaos.
Scattered glass and shattered windows lined streets after several shops were looted by goons, leaving traders counting heavy losses after goods and property were stolen in the mayhem.
One of the worst-hit businesses was Gatecom IT Solutions along Moi Avenue.
A group of looters broke in and made away with dozens of laptops.
The group had earlier vandalised another shop at the junction of Moi Avenue and Kenyatta Avenue before targeting their building across the road.
A shop broken into by goons at in Imenti House, Nairobi on June 17, 2025 during protests following the death of Kenyan blogger Albert Ojwang, who died in police custody.
“We were watching from a distance as they looted the first shop. Moments later, they came our way. They smashed our shop’s glass windows and tried to force the door open, but failed. Then they turned to the shop next to us,” said Alice Kamau.
The attackers made off with more than 30 laptops along with chargers and batteries.
“They came carrying sacks and packed the laptops into them. By the time the police arrived, it was too late. The looting had already happened,” she said.
A video circulating online also shows police officers recovering three laptops, announcing that the owner should collect them from Central Police Station.
A guard the Nation spoke to said the shop owner had arrived just in time to salvage nearly 100 laptops, though the premises had been badly damaged. The guard manning the building sustained a hand injury while trying to confront the attackers.
At the same junction, an electronics shop also suffered losses with the owner, who declined to be recognised, visibly shaken.
“I am traumatised. I have incurred losses and can’t speak,” he told the Nation, struggling to contain emotions as he surveyed the destruction.
Imenti House on Tom Mboya Street was another target by the looters. One business there remained shut as confused staff stood outside, unsure whether operations would resume on Wednesday.
A goon carrying a stone along Moi Avenue in Nairobi on June 17, 2025, during protests following the death of Kenyan blogger Albert Ojwang, who died in police custody.
The scene reflected widespread panic and disruption among traders in the CBD. Similar incidents during past demonstrations have repeatedly forced businesses to shut down, leaving employees without a daily income.
On June 12, 2025, during a previous protest, clothing store Mylo Shirts in Kimathi House had its windows smashed. A video shared online captured the vandalism, showing looters breaking storefronts and fleeing with merchandise.
In a heartfelt message posted after the incident, Mylo Shirts expressed the emotional toll.
“The glasses shattered, but so did our hearts. This place is more than a store. It’s where memories are made, styles are reborn and community is built. We will be closed until further notice as we make repairs and recover.”
Some are still reeling from the aftermath of last year’s demonstrations.
Some of the unknown men who came into the Nairobi CBD in large numbers on June 17, 2025.
Mr Parker, a restaurant owner near the Railways area, told the Nation he has yet to recover from the destruction.
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His restaurant was looted during the 2024 Gen Z protests. A year later, the restaurant remains closed.
“They stole everything from TVs, wiring, and even furniture. I could not reopen and I’m still trying to raise funds to renovate but the dusty facade the hotel now has has a lasting testament to the unrest’s long-term economic effects,” he said.
Chaos on Koinange Street in the Nairobi CBD as motorbike riders clashed with thugs carrying batons. The goons' bike was set on fire.
The cumulative damage from repeated protests has also left many small businesses in Nairobi’s CBD on the brink.
Owners now face the dual threat of financial ruin and physical insecurity with little recourse but to hope for calm.
“We don't oppose people demonstrating for their rights, but we want protection from criminals who take advantage of protests to destroy our livelihoods,” said Steve Wafula, who owns a shoe polishing stand on Moi Avenue.