The Chairman of the Mwea Business Community, Mr. Anthony Mucheke, has decried the destruction and looting of property worth over Sh200 million during recent protests in Mwea.
Speaking during a stakeholder meeting that brought together business owners and local leaders, Mucheke emphasized that the acts of vandalism were a direct attack on livelihoods and the local economy.
“We are committed to working closely with security agencies to ensure the protection of business premises and public property going forward,” said Mucheke.
He urged Mwea residents to cooperate with authorities by providing any useful information that could prevent such incidents in the future.
Echoing his sentiments, Kirinyaga County CEC for Trade and Industry Mr. Calbert Munene Njeru strongly condemned the destruction and termed it “an economic sabotage.”
He assured the business community that the county government is currently mapping all affected enterprises and would work on strategies to safeguard businesses moving forward.
“The County Government of Kirinyaga stands in total condemnation of the looting and vandalism witnessed. This is not just damage to property it’s a blow to our economic growth,” said Njeru.
Tebere MCA Peter Karinga emphasized that the meeting was purely about rebuilding the local economy and not politically motivated.
“This meeting is about recovery and protection of business in Mwea. We are calling on both the County and National Governments to expedite the assessment process and offer tax waivers or support packages to the affected business owners,” he said.
Karinga further urged authorities to fast-track the identification of all those affected and implement policies that would cushion small traders from similar losses in the future.
By David Wandeto
