Kenya’s 2024 nominal GDP at Sh16.22 trillion; a day’s closure could cost billions, eroding investor confidence and stalling job creation, which dropped to 782,000 new jobs in 2024 from 848,200 in 2023.
Look at Hong Kong’s 2019 protests: months of unrest led to a 1.2 per cent GDP contraction, with retail and tourism plummeting as businesses shuttered and visitors stayed away.
Protesters take to the Nairobi streets to demonstrate against the murder of Albert Ojwang on June 12, 2025/FILE
Kenya’s vibrant economy, a beacon in East Africa, faced a turbulent 2024, with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Economic Survey 2025 reporting a GDP growth decline from 5.7 per cent in 2023 to 4.7 per cent in 2024.
The widespread protests, notably the #RejectFinanceBill2024 movement, peaked on June 25, 2024, and the recent unrest following Albert Ojwang’s tragic death in police custody.
As we brace for the planned June 25, 2025, commemoration protests, businesses face another wave of disruption.
These events underscore a stark truth: protests, while a democratic right, carry a steep economic toll. The KNBS data highlights how protests, alongside high interest rates and climate shocks, slowed key sectors.
Agriculture, contributing over a fifth of GDP, grew at just 4.4 per cent in 2024, down from 7.7 per cent in 2023, partly due to supply chain disruptions from protests. The services sector, accounting for 61.1 per cent of GDP, also faltered as businesses closed and consumer confidence waned.
A single day of economic standstill — when shops, markets and offices shut —slashes daily GDP. With Kenya’s 2024 nominal GDP at Sh16.22 trillion, a day’s closure could cost billions, eroding investor confidence and stalling job creation, which dropped to 782,000 new jobs in 2024 from 848,200 in 2023.
Look at Hong Kong’s 2019 protests: months of unrest led to a 1.2 per cent GDP contraction, with retail and tourism plummeting as businesses shuttered and visitors stayed away.
Kenya risks a similar spiral if protests persist. For the small businesses, the backbone of our economy, suffer most, vendors lose daily earnings, and supply chains falter. Yet, protests signal deeper issues: corruption, inequality and unresponsive policies.
To balance democratic expression and economic stability, the government must address these root causes through dialogue and reform. As Kenya anticipates June 25, 2025, businesses and policymakers must brace for impact while seeking lasting solutions to prevent recurring economic wounds.
