Esther Wanjiru dey stand for di empty shell wey before na her beauty salon for downtown Nairobi. Her face dey show di pain of person wey dem don collect her livelihood.

For her back, di empty shelves and bent grilles dey tell di tori of destruction wey don become normal for Kenya as vandals dey target businesses in di name of anti-government protest.

Di latest street protest dey claim say na di youth-led movement against di extra tax wey government wan put and di high cost of living for Kenya. But di way e be now, e don turn to wahala and katakata.

“I dey pray make di government give us security,” Esther talk as she dey cry for one video wey show di heartbreak wey di riot don cause for people business.

“Dem suppose think how dem go pay us back di money wey we don lose. I no get anything again. I no even sabi if I go go back village or wetin I go do,” she add.

Esther lock her shop to avoid di protest and protect her goods. But when she come back, she see say di place don empty as vandals don carry everything finish under di name of protest.

Wetin make her matter worse na di loan wey she take to start di business. Now wey di salon no dey work, she no get way to make money pay di loan back.

Esther no be di only person wey dis kind thing don happen to. No be only small businesses dey suffer for di wahala wey di protest don cause. Big places like supermarkets, electronics shops and restaurants sef no dey safe.

Di vandals go break door and window, carry things one by one, and sometimes dem go even burn di place.

Di economic wahala wey di protest don cause na big one. One Geopol survey for dis month show say 41% of Kenyans don experience business wahala, and 35% no fit go work or school because of di violent protest.

Di Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) talk say di protest wey happen on June 25 alone cost di country about Ksh 3 billion (US $23.25 million) because of lost sales, missed opportunities and di damage to infrastructure.

Dem talk say Nairobi County government lose about Ksh 6 million for daily parking money, and di fear wey di protest cause make economic activity reduce, prices of goods go up, and foreign investors dey fear to come because of di bad news wey dey spread for international media.

As di economic wahala dey grow, di government quick take action. President Ruto give order make security people take strong action after di vandalism and burning of businesses.

But di matter still hard for people like Wanjiru as di interior cabinet secretary, Kipchumba Murkomen, talk say government no get money to pay people back for di things wey dem lose.

“We no get di budget to do am,” he talk. He even call di destruction of property “terrorism” wey dem hide under protest.

Murkomen suggest say di people wey organise di protest suppose take responsibility and pay for di losses.

Di message clear say people wey lose everything go need find way to start again by demself, as government no go fit help dem.

As di tension still dey, Wanjiru dey ask herself one big question — make she go back her village or find way to start afresh?