Kieni Member of Parliament Njoroge Wainaina resorted to unorthodox methods to protect his business from protesters as he locked himself inside the supermarket on Wednesday, June 25.
Nyeri, like most cities in the country, was also subject to chaos and mayhem as protesters took to the streets to commemorate a year since the anti-Finance Bill protests.
For several hours, protesters engaged police in running battles in Nyeri town, posing a risk to businesses and infrastructure in the area.
Amid the chaos, several protesters attempted to gain access to a supermarket reportedly belonging to Wainaina, forcing him to lock himself inside the premises.
Despite the potential risks involved, the lawmaker barricaded himself in the premises to avoid a repeat of last year's incidents, which saw several retail outlets in Nyeri and Nyahururu looted.
Police officers were on deck to dispel the protesters from looting and damaging property, but they were eventually overpowered by the sheer numbers of civilians, who pushed them back by hurling projectiles.
By 3pm on Wednesday, reports indicated the lawmaker was still inside his supermarket, with little to no security around amid a swelling crowd that was marching through Nyeri Town.
Notably, the Kieni MP endured losses worth millions almost a year to date after irate youth looted and set ablaze several businesses in Nyeri and Nanyuki.
At the time, protesters deliberately targeted Njoroge Wainaina's businesses in retaliation after it emerged that the lawmaker voted yes to the Finance Bill 2024.
Incidents of looting were witnessed across several parts of the country on Wednesday, including in the Nairobi CBD, where several shops were broken into along Mfangano Street.
In Kitengela, protests also escalated into looting as protesters broke into two fast food outlets before making away with cash.
Meanwhile, several people have sustained injuries from the protests across the country, with civil rights groups accusing law enforcers of using excessive force once again.
In Matuu, Machakos County, several civilians were reportedly shot after a botched attempt to infiltrate a police station. Several of the injured protesters were rushed to Matuu Level 4 Hospital.
