NAIROBI MOTOR CYCLE RIDERS LOST SH 5000 EACH DAILY DURING ‘TEARGAS MONDAYS’

Boda boda riders lost an average of Sh5,000 per day during the anti-IEBC demonstrations that rocked Nairobi in months of May and June this year, a study has revealed.A study conducted by TIFA Research and released by Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa) has painted a picture of multi-million losses incurred by business during the weekly protests, that sometimes turned violent.

MASSIVE LOSSES
Boda bodas were among businesses in Nairobi that were left counting massive losses.

The average revenue lost per business per day of demonstrations stood at Sh48,304. The businesses that experienced higher revenue losses were banks and financial institutions that lost an average of Sh166,727 per day. Some restaurants reported losing up to Sh150,000 per week.

The study also found out that losses were experienced by nearly every business in the CBD.

The highest loss figure mentioned by boda boda rider was Sh5,000. Newspaper vendors and hawkers lost Sh10,000 and Sh3,000 respectively during the demos dubbed Teargas Mondays.

However, it was not gloom for everyone. Some business made a killing from the demos. Transport companies especially matatus hiked their fares as they sort to ferry frightened Nairobians out of CBD.

Security and welding companies were sought out to secure business premises located on Teargas Monday routes.

PROTESTS

In May 2016, Cord leaders led by Raila Odinga and their supporters embarked on a series of protests seeking to remove Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners from office.

They claimed to have lost confidence in the electoral team and vowed that they won’t allow them to preside over the next elections.

In response, the government ensured that there was heavy presence of police officers to guard the electoral body’s offices at Anniversary Towers.

In addition, the police sought to prevent the demonstrators from looting and damaging property. The city demonstrations were done once a week (Mondays) with a threat of escalating them twice a week if the government did not heed the opposition call for dialogue.

Cities around the world continue to face the challenge of protests with the worst ones reported in India, USA, UK and Argentina.

The post-election demonstrations in Nairobi in December 2007 makes it the only African city in the top ten list of worst ever protests in the world.

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