The busy streets of Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) remained deserted on Monday as economic activities stalled following the planned Saba Saba peaceful protests.

Drawing lessons from the June 25 protests, most traders on July 6, 2025, were seen enhancing security for their establishments by installing additional steel doors to safeguard their valuables.  

During the previous week, a significant number of traders were left counting losses that ran into millions marked by vandalism while others in areas such as the busy Koja roundabout also counted losses. 

Even though national security has been enhanced, traders still opted to temporarily close shop in fear of looters.

“We will still participate in the demonstrations. We want to commemorate those who have lost their lives due to the flaws of the government. This is our democratic right, and we shall not be intimidated. We stand firm!” one youth said on an X post on July 6, 2025.  

While this remains the case, passengers were also stranded across the major roads leading to the CBD as police officers seemingly paralysed the transport sector.  

Employed Kenyans particularly the civil servants got stranded despite the government communicating that Monday would be a working day just like any other.  

“Everyone can access the CBD, no one has been denied access as today is a normal working day,” Deputy Inspector General of the Administration Police Service (APS) Gilbert Masengeli said in an interview.  

The matatu industry, a key player in the economy also got impacted due to the restrictions to access specific points in the nation’s capital.  

This means that the amount of revenue generated from the sector is likely to fall below the daily Ksh330 million from more than 60,000 Public Service Vehicles (PSVs).  

“Some of us are servicing loans and we are not able to pay the instalments during such periods, and so we are urging the government and all stakeholders to get into reconciliation to save the country from anarchy,” Albert Karakacha, the chairman of the association, said in a previous engagement. 

Much as the different revenue streams are set to be impacted by the peaceful protests, traders leveraged on July 6, 2025, to clear sales, contrary to the norm where Sundays are usually considered slow or off days.