Gunshots, teargas as police chase hawkers, boda boda riders out of town – PHOTOS
Sounds of gunshots and choking fumes of teargas reigned in the city centre on Friday afternoon as police and county askaris flushed out hawkers and boda boda operators .
A unit of 15 anti-riot policemen combed the street clean of the hawkers and the boda boda operators.
Abandoned wares and motorcycles here and there marked some streets in the as hawkers and the riders scampered for safety. Those arrested were ushered into rickety county vans.
This is the second day of a two-week crackdown launched by Nairobi County’s Inspectorate Department in collaboration with the county commissioner Amos Mariba to rid the city centre of hawkers and boda boda operators.
Dubbed, Operation Fagia Nairobi County, the crackdown has seen several people arrested and dozens of motorcycles impounded. They are held at Kamukunji and Central Police stations awaiting to be charged at City Hall Court.
The operation focused on several notorious hot spots including Ngara, Tom Mboya, Country Bus, Nyamakima, Kirinyaga road, Globe, River road, Racecourse road and Country bus, Wakulima and Railways, and Ronald Ngala.
“In the recent times, there has been public outcry over insecurity and disorderliness within the central business district and its surroundings as such, as part of our safety and crime prevention strategy, we are embarking on this mission aimed at restoring order within the city,” said director of operations at Nairobi City Inspectorate Department Mr Peter Mbaya.