Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan has accused Nairobi City County enforcement officers, popularly known as Kanjo, of harassing, intimidating and arbitrarily arresting traders in Eastleigh and Gikomba, and has asked City Hall to stop the raids and hold errant officers to account.

Speaking in Eastleigh on Sunday, the MP said he had received repeated reports of county askaris destroying and forcefully confiscating the goods of hawkers, small-scale traders and business owners in two of the capital's busiest markets.

"I am deeply concerned by reports of continued harassment, intimidation and arbitrary arrests of small-scale traders, hawkers and business owners by Nairobi City County askaris in Eastleigh and Gikomba," Hassan said, according to The Standard.

'Partners, not enemies'

Hassan argued that the two markets are among Nairobi's biggest sources of tax revenue, and that the traders being targeted are, in effect, funding the county workforce.

"The traders whose businesses generate this revenue are, in essence, helping pay the salaries of the very officers who harass them," he said.

He singled out the treatment of mama mboga and other small traders, saying their goods are sometimes seized without explanation, leaving families without the little income they rely on as the cost of living bites.

The MP said he was not opposed to the enforcement of county by-laws, but insisted it must be lawful. "Enforcement must be fair, respectful and humane," he said.

What the MP wants

  • An immediate end to the harassment and arbitrary arrests of traders.
  • A stop to the destruction and unlawful confiscation of goods and property.
  • Talks between the county and traders' representatives on licensing, trading spaces and compliance.
  • Accountability for officers found to have damaged or seized property unlawfully or abused their authority.

A hard time for Eastleigh traders

The complaints come as Eastleigh businesses are still counting losses from road closures around the site of the collapsed building, where rescue and recovery work has gone on for more than a week. The Eastleigh Voice, People Daily and Capital FM also carried the MP's statement.

Nairobi County had not publicly responded to the claims by the time of publication. Clashes between Kanjo and hawkers have long been a flashpoint in the capital's central business district and busy market areas, with traders frequently accusing askaris of extortion and heavy-handed raids.

Photos: The Standard; The Eastleigh Voice. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.