President William Ruto's economic advisor David Ndii has called out Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja after a group of county officers, popularly known as kanjos were caught on camera vandalising and seizing smokie vendor carts.
In a statement, Ndii faulted Sakaja's government accusing it of being non-friendly to hustlers.
The economist also noted that he had previously issued a number of warnings to the Governor over his leadership style, adding that despite the constant calls, the governor failed to heed his advice.
"The Nairobi County leadership is not hustler friendly. That's why I keep prodding Johnson Sakaja on it. Sakaja run on an “order” platform. His plan was to put hustlers in markets. Street vendors are on streets because that's where customers are," Ndii said in his statement.
According to the economist, most of the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) needs to be pedestrianized and made to be street friendly.
Ndii further shared images of Sakaja's previous manifesto in which the Governor listed a number of things he would do to improve the livelihoods of Nairobi County residents.
In his manifesto dubbed "a city of dignity and order," Sakaja outlined the issues he would handle once he assumed office.
Ndii's statement came in the backdrop of complaints from Nairobi traders after their carts were vandalised by the Nairobi County officers.
Kenyans took to social media to express their displeasure after photos showing how the whole situation unfolded started circulating online.
The photos showed smokies and boiled eggs strewn on the roadside as a county askaris towed other trolleys.
“If it is a must to arrest these people, please do it in a humane way. Protect whatever the businesses, big or small. Their families depend on that for survival,” read a post by one social media user.
The county had earlier outlined plans to relocate all city traders to back lanes in a move to bring order to the city.
Sakaja, while announcing he relocation of 6500 hawkers said that the move was geared at ensuring small-scale traders to flourish in an orderly way.
