Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja, has taken decisive action following repeated clashes between his security and compliance team, colloquially known as “Kanjos,” and traders.
In a bid to restore order and uphold the dignity of the city’s residents, the Governor suspended Chief Officer of Security and Compliance, Mr Tony Kimani, along with Director of City Inspectorate, Mr Benjamin Omondi, and Assistant Director of Operations, Ms Carol Njuguna.
Acting County Secretary Mr Patrick Analo, in a letter, emphasized the county’s commitment to treating the people of Nairobi with humanity and dignity.
The decision to suspend the officers was made after investigations into recent incidents involving traders, motorists, and business owners in various parts of the city.
The immediate changes include the appointment of Ms. Eva Wairiuko as the Acting Chief Officer in place of Mr Kimani and Mr William Kangogo as the Acting Director of the City Inspectorate in place of Mr Omondi. Investigations among the suspended officers will commence immediately.
Recent instances have seen inspectorate officers allegedly harassing small traders and hawkers without regard for their dignity.
Governor Sakaja, in a recent engagement with vendors’ representatives and Kanjos, stressed the importance of treating all traders with dignity and decorum, asserting that no one would be harassed under his watch.
Governor Sakaja also affirmed his commitment to protecting his officers, making it clear that he would not tolerate any trader insulting or abusing them. The move comes after several reported incidents, including the widely condemned case where a 14-year-old Burundian hawker lost his daily earnings during an encounter with Kanjos.
In response to this incident, the Governor contacted the young boy, promising to facilitate his return to Burundi.
The Governor has been actively addressing harassment cases, recently compensating hawkers with Sh10,000 each after they faced mistreatment resulting in the loss of their commodities.
