Sonko betrays hawkers, orders for their removal from CBD – PHOTOS
It was a cat and mouse game as city askaris carried out a sting operation to flush out hawkers and boda boda operators from the central business district on Thursday morning.
This was a big turnaround by Governor Mike Sonko who had in October 2017 officially given hawkers access to the central business district as early as 2 pm to sell their wares. This was part of the recommendations of a taskforce on how to deal with the hawking problem in the city centre.
But on Thursday, ruthless city askaris pounced on hawkers in seven notorious hot spots in the city including Ngara, Tom Mboya Street, Country bus station, Nyamakima and Kirinyaga Road.
They confiscated wares which were donated to children’s homes and rehabilitation centres across the city.
Wilson Too, who is in charge of the Tom Mboya and Ngara zone, said that already 21 hawkers had been nabbed together with 7 motorcycles.
CHARGED WITH OBSTRUCTION
“We have so far arrested 21 boda boda riders and we have taken them to City Court where they will be charged with obstruction. Some boda boda riders have, however, managed to escape leaving behind their motorcycles which we have with us, ” said Mr Too.
The county banned boda boda operators from the city centre last month in the wake of increased cases of insecurity in the CBD.
Governor Mike Sonko had initially allowed hawkers to operated in the CBD from 2.30pm daily, but changed his mind soon after.
He had vowed to move them out of the city centre by November last year.