Image: Courtesy
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has announced plans to investigate looters who exploited last week's protests to destroy properties and businesses.
According to the police, while many Kenyans peacefully exercised their right to protest, some individuals took advantage of the situation to engage in looting.
In a statement on X, the DCI revealed the faces of suspects caught on CCTV and urged Kenyans to report them to the nearest police station.
"When Kenyan youths (Gen Z) organized nationwide peaceful protests to exercise their democratic right in rejecting the proposed 2024-25 Finance Bill, other groups with criminal intentions took advantage of the situation to cause harm and economically frustrate fellow Kenyans," the DCI said.
A video shared by the DCI showed suspects looting a boutique that was closed at the time. The suspects, mostly young, were seen reaching out to shelves and drawers to steal clothes. Many wore capes and masks to conceal their identities.
Police noted that the looters posed as demonstrators and targeted several business premises, including boutiques, electronic shops, and supermarkets.
"As a criminal investigative agency, it is the DCI's mandate to investigate and prosecute individuals involved in such criminal activities, which not only deprived numerous Kenyans of their livelihoods but also compromised an essential constitutional right," the statement reads.
The DCI’s Imaging and Acoustic Unit, based at the National Forensic Laboratory, has retrieved numerous CCTV footages capturing identifiable suspects.
Police emphasized that the actions of these looters were distinct from the peaceful protesters and have launched investigations to apprehend and prosecute the suspects. They also warned that more suspects remain at large, waiting for other opportunities to cause damage and risk the lives of innocent Kenyans caught in the crossfire.
"We must remove these individuals from our midst because they do not share the principles we stand for, and more importantly, to protect those who did not deserve to lose their livelihoods in this manner," the DCI added.
Police have appealed to the public to report any information about the looters to any police station or via the #FichuakwaDCI hotline at 0800 722 203.
This announcement comes after nationwide protests over the Finance Bill 2024, which resulted in injuries, deaths, and significant property damage. President William Ruto has since declined to sign the controversial Bill and sent it back to Parliament.
