The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) has called off its weekly protests that had rocked the country the last more than one more giving a glimmer of home to business people across the country whose businesses had been ailing on almost every Monday.
The opposition has been in the streets calling for the complete disbandment of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, IEBC. The protests had been ongoing on every Monday of every week and the coalition had increased the number of days from Monday to include Thursdays too.
During the last protest, it is estimated that close to 800 million shillings may have been lost in Nairobi alone with the transport sector being the most affected. The most affected areas in Nairobi were Kibera, Huruma and Mathare where rowdy youth looted properties and destroyed others and paralyzing businesses the whole of that day.
Read: Property Worth Millions Destroyed During #CORDdemos
In Kisumu, millions of shillings went down the drain after rowdy demonstrators attacked supermarket and shopping centres and made away with valuable products mainly electronics. The business community has been on the forefront calling for an end to the weekly protests and had even threatened to stage a counter demonstration as a way of protecting their businesses.
More than five people have already lost their lives with tens others still nursing injuries as a result of the demonstrations with the police being on the receiving end for using too much force against the demonstrators.
The international community had already raised concerns especially as the country gears towards the next General Elections that are expected to be held on August 2017. The ruling party, Jubilee, which had refused to hold any talks with the opposition concerning the IEBC seemed to be yielding to the mounting pressure as President Uhuru Kenyatta while in Ukambani said that he was ready for talks.