By Mahlon Lichuma
Widespread vandalism and looting were witnessed across several parts of Eldoret Town as hundreds of youths joined Gen Z in protesting against the 2024 Finance Bill.
While protesters in the country’s capital – Nairobi stormed Parliament buildings – those in Eldoret looted several electronic shops, burnt down the Eldoret Municipal Court within the Uasin Gishu County headquarters and at least five cars at the Kenya National Library Services.
Some protesters managed to gain entry to the county headquarters.
During the peak of the protests on Tuesday afternoon, the situation escalated into destruction as young demonstrators breached the county offices. They vandalized the County Municipal Court, stole confiscated motorbikes, and set fire to municipal trucks and vehicles.
The Kenya National Library, Eldoret branch also fell victim to arson, with several vehicles outside the premises also set ablaze.
Additionally, landmarks like the city clock and signages were set on fire.
As the day progressed, the chaos continued, with shops along FIMs being broken into and traders suffering losses.
“Yesterday we took to the streets to protest against the finance bill, but we never anticipated this outcome. It’s disheartening to start our businesses from scratch amidst these challenging economic times,” said one of the affected traders, whose electronics shop was among those burglarized.
The trader emphasized that the protests initially began peacefully.
“Our Gen Z demonstrators were peaceful until some riotous individuals emerged and began sabotaging our shops, stealing everything we had,” he lamented.
