NAIROBI, Kenya, July 8, 2025 — Cabinet Secretary for Trade and Investment, Lee Kinyanjui, has issued a stern condemnation of the Saba Saba protests held on Monday, describing them as destructive and counterproductive.
The protests, which swept across Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa, and Eldoret, left a trail of destruction, with billions in property losses and 11 confirmed fatalities, according to police.
Read: Saba Saba Chaos: 11 Killed, 567 Arrested as Protests Turn Deadly — Police Reveal
“As the smoke settles, the extent of the damage and loss of life is becoming clear. Billions have been lost, and many lives disrupted—some forever. An abomination has visited the land,” said Kinyanjui in a statement from his Nairobi office.
Massive Economic Impact and Lost Livelihoods
Kinyanjui lamented the economic devastation caused by the unrest, noting that hundreds of businesses—particularly in Nairobi’s CBD and Kisumu’s Kibuye Market—were either vandalized, looted, or set ablaze.
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“My heart bleeds for the many businesses that were vandalized, looted, and burned down. Thousands now have no place to report to work or sell their wares. This is both defeatist and retrogressive,” he said.
Preliminary estimates from the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry suggest that more than Ksh 12 billion may have been lost in just one day, with small traders bearing the brunt.
In Kisumu, 36-year-old trader Alice Atieno stood outside the ashes of her clothes stall at Kibuye Market and said, “We were struggling with the economy already—now we have nothing. I don’t even know where to begin.”
Protests Worsen the Crisis They Aim to Solve, CS Says
The Trade CS argued that using violence to express grievances over the rising cost of living only compounds the crisis.
“We cannot sacrifice our businesses and terminate jobs to protest the cost of living—doing so only worsens the problem. We have added more people to the jobless bench,” he noted.
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Kinyanjui said while Kenyans have a right to express discontent, anarchy should never be the path forward. He called on political leaders and citizens to pursue constructive dialogue and uphold the rule of law.
“Anarchy is not the panacea to the challenges our society faces. We can and must do better than this,” he concluded.
11 Dead, Dozens Injured in Saba Saba Protests
According to the National Police Service, 11 people died during the protests and over 70 others sustained injuries in various parts of the country. The police have launched investigations and pledged accountability for any unlawful actions during the demonstrations.
The government has also activated rapid-response mechanisms to assess business losses and consider compensation pathways for affected SMEs, especially those led by women and youths
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