Outrage as mask vendor shot in the head at close range by police

Armed goons patrolled Nairobi's city centre on Tuesday, attacking and robbing pedestrians.

Businesses around the CBD remained closed as the owners feared that they might be broken into, with Moi Avenue being the most affected area where some goons broke into a computer and phone shop.

Collins Barasa, a guard at one of the computer shops that was broken into, said that the goons had targeted the shop since the demons began and were even issuing him threats.

“I went to call the police and by the time they came, the goons had broken into the shop and taken a few items.”

He alleges that when the police came, they did not help and only repulsed the goons for a moment and as soon as they left the goons came back and took what was left.

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Barasa says that he hid some five computers from the looters and that they were then taken by the police.

“The police took the five computers and told me to inform the owners of the shop to go get them from the Central Police Station.”

He sustained a deep cut on his left hand as he tried to fight off the looters.

One of the bodaboda riders in the CBD criticised the politicians who had been deployed to disperse the protestors saying that they were giving them a bad image.

He said that they are not known to them and he suspects that they had been picked from slums to do the dirty work.

Goeffrey Mboya, an activist, said that they hit the streets to compel Lagat to resign from his position (he stepped aside on Monday).

“It is too late,” he said of Lagat’s decision to step aside.

“He should be arrested and arraigned in our honourable courts so that it can serve as a lesson to other officers that they must follow the rule of law.”

He said that police had taken an oath to protect the constitution and wondered why they just stood by as goons ran amok.

Mwanase Ahmed, an activist, called out on the people behind the plot to deploy goons to assault and disperse them.

“No matter how much the state pays Sh500, even if it is Sh200 to come and taunt, beat and throw stones at other Kenyans who are fighting for you,” said Ahmed.

Medics had set up a camp near the Jamia Mosque, where injured protesters were receiving medical aid.

Some of the goons said that they did not have a problem with the protesters taking to the streets what they did not want was the looting witnessed in other demos but they were attacking the very protestors who posed no harm.

Meanwhile, matatus plying the city centre were forced to suspend activities as protestors and police engaged in running battles in the city centre.

Several matatu saccos directed their crews to park on safe areas far away from the city centre, forcing commuters accessing the city centre to trek or use other means, including motorbikes.

And now some matatu associations have raised concerns, citing that the demonstrations have exposed to huge losses, thus calling for a solution to shield them.

“It is sad that for the second time that the transport has been paralysed for the second time, it is sad that last week alone, we lost 40 per cent of our incomes,” Matatu Owners President Albert Karakacha said

Adding that, “whenever there is a demonstration, the majority of our members keep off the roads yet some of the owners are servicing loans on a daily basis”

The chairman appealed to President Ruto and other leaders to find a way of addressing some pressing issues that are being raised by Kenyans to avoid exposing Kenyans to more pain.

“I think the Head of State should find a way of bringing all parties together so as to chart the way forward because if we continue like this, thing will continue getting worse,” added Karakacha.