Coffin dealers mourn as protesters vandalize shops, cart away coffins
At least ten people were Monday killed in separate places during the Saba Saba protests held in 17 counties.
Coffin makers and funeral supply traders in Kisii town were by late Monday counting losses after rowdy Saba Saba protesters looted their shops.
They spoke of vandalized coffins during the violent anti-government demonstrations.
The protests are called to mark the historic agitation for multipartism in the country in the 1990’s.
In Kisii, they quickly turned chaotic Monday sparking street battles between rowdy youth and the police.
At least six protesters suffered arrow injuries as pro-government goons squared it out with the protesters at Mashauri area.
Coffin makers also joined traders who are counting losses as the demos spilled from street to street.
By 5 pm they had began to ease off.
Robert Omunga, Magenche Coffins dealer, said he continues to suffer staggering losses following a string of break ins in his business for the last one year.
His showroom located outside the Kisii Teaching and Referral morgue was targeted Monday and a Coffins costing Sh16,000 carted away .
It was the fourth time the business was being raided and coffins looted.
More others are vandalized in the melee, the trader told Kahawa Tungu.
“My staff watched helplessly as they carried away two finished coffins, but we recovered one shortly later.”
“Last time they stormed and carried away one costing Sh40,000 and burned it on the streets,” he narrated
He spoke of some protesters mocking them before going ahead to feign death while lying in them and vandalized them.
The traders said they are yet to recover from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and were only just stabilizing when the fresh bout of demos started.
“It’s ironic. We are in the business of helping grieving families, yet now we are grieving our own livelihoods,” added Omunga.
Thomas Sangara, a trader condemned what he described as an “emerging culture of violence among local youth”.
He asked the police to bring the culprits to book.
The protests were part of nationwide demonstrations organized by opposition groups under the Saba Saba banner.
The yearly protests are held to, commemorate the 1990 call for multi-party democracy in Kenya.
While intended to be peaceful, the Kisii demonstrations quickly degenerated into chaos.
More shop owners claimed their shops were looted.