Luthuli street in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) turned chaotic on Tuesday afternoon as traders clashed with anti-counterfeit officers.
It was reported that the officers were carrying out a search for counterfeit electronic products along the street.
However, traders along the street revolted against the search stating that the officers were harassing them.
Further, the traders alleged that the officers were obstructing them from conducting business and lobbied to chase them out of the street.
Videos seen by Kenyans.co.ke depicted the traders camping outside of a shop where the officers were and insisting on flushing them.
The traders also alleged that the officers were targeting several high-end electronic brands and aiming to confiscate them.
In a twist, the chaos later escalated and it took police intervention to restore order in the area.
However, the Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA) was yet to issue a statement on the afternoon raid.
The protests are not an isolated incident as traders within Nairobi have often protested against law enforcement authorities.
On March 24, traders in Nyamakima, and Gikomba protested the holding of their container ports at the Port of Mombasa.
The traders cited that the delay in processing the goods was affecting their businesses and decreasing business margins.
In January 2024, traders on Wednesday took to the streets protesting and calling for the ouster of the city manager.
The traders cited that the manager had been harassing them and eventually affecting their businesses.
