The Quickmart supermarket has denied claims that several people were killed at one of its Nairobi CBD establishments during the June 25 protests.
In a statement on Thursday, Quickmart confirmed that two of its branches, at OTC and another one in Ruiru, had been broken into, but no casualties were reported in the fracas.
The statement came amid online reports that police were collecting bodies at their OTC branch. The reports emerged after pictures of police officers surrounding the establishment in downtown Nairobi surfaced.
With the reports, there were fears that some members of the retail chain were injured during the chaos, but the supermarket further emphasised that the security of its staff, customers, and the community at large was its top priority.
"Quickmart notes that two of our branches in OTC and Ruiru were affected during yesterday's demonstrations," part of the statement read.
"Contrary to misleading information circulating on digital platforms, we wish to assure the public that no staff, customers, or any other individuals were injured or deceased at the two outlets."
As a result of the break-ins, Quickmart promised that all necessary measures to resume services were in order, calling for the support of its shoppers and staff.
In the meantime, customers of the two branches were advised to access their services at their nearest alternative Quickmart branch.
This clarification comes hours after Hanifa Adan, a popular activist, decried receiving several messages from concerned protesters near the OTC branch.
"What’s going on at Quickmart? Goodness," she wrote on X, accompanied by screenshots of messages from concerned protesters.
In four of the screenshots shared, protesters relayed that they were concerned about a potential cover-up of bodies at the branch as police officers quickly dispersed them from the scene.
One such protester even claimed that at least 30 bodies were being retrieved from the premises and that they had been barred from entering.
This comes just hours after Amnesty International Kenya confirmed that at least 16 fatalities had been reported countrywide from the June 25 commemorative protests to mark the one-year anniversary of the 2024 anti-finance bill protests.
