Nairobi Widow's Shop Looted by Goons Months after Losing Husband: "Niko na Loan na Watoto"
- Goons infiltrated the Wednesday, June 25, protests and stole from businesses in the Nairobi Central Business District
- One of the traders affected was a woman whose shoe shop was broken into and all her merchandise stolen just months after burying her husband
- Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who happened to listen to the widow's story, explained the government's initiative to help
Faith Chandianya, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and Current Affairs in Kenya
Nairobi: The Wednesday, June 25, protests that were led by youth left some business people counting losses after their valuables were stolen.
Source: Getty Images
Was Nairobi's widow's shop looted?
One instance was the case of a widow whose shop was broken into and all the commodities stolen by suspected goons who infiltrated the protests.
Speaking to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen during his assessment of businesses affected by protests, the visibly distressed lady recounted the pain of losing her business investment just months after burying her husband.
"I sell ladies' shoes. They looted everything in the shop. They took everything I had. I have children that I have to raise. My husband died seven months ago," she said.
Struggling to maintain a brave face, the woman said that she is now stranded as the only source of income she had was gone. She stated that she has loans that she has to pay and has no idea how to clear her debt.
"I have a loan at Stima Sacco, Equity. The small business I had was what helped me to repay my debts in instalments every day. Sahi nitaanzia wapi. Nani ataongeza deni juu ya deni?" the woman asked.
"It's so painful. Right now, if I ask you for KSh 10,000, you'll also tell me you don't have. Where do I even start, because I don't have the stock to sell?" She told Murkomen.
Murkomen, sympathising with the woman, stated that government officials would write a report on the losses that businesspeople incurred during the protests.
The CS stated that the move is meant to assist those whose businesses had been affected by the Wednesday protests.
The visibly distressed woman stated that the stock in her shop was equivalent to KSh 1 million, as the type of shoes she sold was very expensive.
Nairobi woman overwhelmed with emotions after business survives
In a separate incident, Emmah Ambetsa Bulali, a Nairobi businesswoman, emotionally recounted the moments she spent at home worrying about the safety of her business during the Gen Z protests.
She stated that she was even more panicked when she heard reports that goons had broken into the commercial building where her business is located.
Source: Facebook
Speaking in an exclusive interview with TUKO.co.ke, Ambetsa expressed her joy after she learnt that her business survived.
Ambetsa further explained the challenges she goes through to keep her business afloat so she doesn't have to fire any of her 20 employees who depend on the job to meet daily needs.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
