Editor's Review

"The bad elements who were also well-organized earmarked several business premises including boutiques, electronic shops, and supermarkets."

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has called on members of the public to report suspects who posed as demonstrators and broke into businesses during the anti-finance bill protests.

In a statement on Monday, July 1, DCI said the suspects who were well organized targeted boutiques, electronic shops, supermarkets, and other business entities breaking in and massively looting.

“When the Kenyan youths (Gen Z) organized nationwide peaceful protests to exercise their democratic right rejecting the proposed 2024/2025 Finance Bill, other groups with criminal minds took advantage of the situation and devised schemes to cause harm and economically frustrate fellow Kenyans,” read the statement in part.

DCI noted that its Imaging and Acoustic Unit domiciled at the National Forensic Laboratory has since retrieved numerous CCTV footage that captured the suspects breaking into businesses during the protests.

According to DCI, some of the suspects have already been arrested and arraigned in court however some are yet to be apprehended by the investigative agency.

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Photo collage of suspects captured looting during anti-finance bill protests.

“Whereas some have already been arrested and arraigned in various courts today, more are still out there on the streets waiting for other opportune times to strike again, causing more damage and risking the lives of innocent citizens caught up in the course of quelling the crimes,” DCI stated.

DCI urged Kenyans to help detectives flush out the suspects from their hiding noting that they do not share the principles that the country stands for.

“Do you know any of them? Please report to any police station or #FichuakwaDCI by calling our toll-free hotline 0800 722 203,” the DCI statement added.

This comes a day after President William Ruto announced that the security agencies would go after a section of Kenyans who were caught on camera destroying and looting property.

Speaking at State House Nairobi, Ruto observed that criminals infiltrated the protests and were behind the torching of a section of Parliament buildings.

"The protests were infiltrated by other people. Those who burnt parliament were not these children; they were criminals. We are going to look for them because you can't destroy public property and escape. We will engage our youths, but we will also deal with the criminals in accordance with the law,” Ruto remarked.