Business stands still in the CBD

Closed shops on a section of Nairobi on July 7, 2014. If there is anything to learn from the Saba Saba shutdown, it is that the outrageous social inequality in Nairobi where 60 per cent of the population lives in slums and a majority of people have virtually no stake in the city makes its economy awfully vulnerable to political instability. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA

By  NATION CORRESPONDENT

What you need to know:

  • Thika Superhighway and Jogoo Road almost free of vehicles in the morning.
  • Some private schools had asked parents to keep their children away.

An uneasy calm gripped the city centre on Monday with many residents choosing to stay away.

Most supermarkets were open for business but their windows had protective shutters.

Jewellers’ shops on Kenyatta Avenue did not open for the entire day but banks continued with their activities.

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Nairobi roads experienced less traffic than usual. Thika Superhighway and Jogoo Road were almost free of vehicles in the morning.

It took about 10 minutes to cover distances that normally take more than an hour. To cap it all, it was cheaper for travellers.

Matatus and buses headed to town charged far less than the other days because of the few commuters.

Jevanjee Gardens on Moi Avenue hosted a phalanx of anti-riot police officers. They were armed with guns, shields, batons and tear gas canisters.

Shops on Moi, Kenyatta and Haile Selassie avenues and near the Bus Station were open in the morning. Some had huge padlocks on their doors.

Parking spaces were full and it looked like an ordinary day.

At almost every corner in the CBD, there was a lorry of armed police officers.

The roads were manned by Administration Police, Kenya Prisons Officers and mounted policemen.

The officers could also be seen outside education institutions like St Paul’s University and Moi Avenue Primary School.

FLAGS AND TWIGS

Some private schools had asked parents to keep their children away.

Most of Moi Avenue Primary School pupils were absent.

There was little activity at the University of Nairobi - despite the library, lecture halls and the offices being open. The same was evident in hostels and the cafeteria.

A group of demonstrators waving flags, branches and placards and blowing whistles invaded Moi Avenue at around noon and taunted the security officers to arrest them.

This prompted some people to run for safety. Businesses quickly closed. Fortunately, nothing ugly happened.

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