Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on Wednesday ordered that each of the vendors whose carts were vandalised and seized by county officers popularly known as kanjos be compensated Ksh10,000 each.
In a statement, the Governor expressed regret over the incident saying that the county government will take disciplinary action against the involved officers.
"I have ordered the immediate release of all confiscated items, apologized to the traders, and personally compensated each of them to the tune of 10,000 shillings each," the Governor said in a statement.
While issuing an apology, the Governor maintained that over the years, the county leadership has fostered a cordial relationship but regretted that recent trends have been threatening to sabotage that.
"Even if the traders were operating without the required documentation, including a Medical Certificate from Public Health that every food handler must-have for the safety of Nairobians, they did not deserve such treatment and we are dealing with this internally," Sakaja said in his statement.
Earlier in the day, the askaris had vandalised and seized smokie vendor carts which was followed by uproar from Kenyans who questioned whether the hostility meted on the traders was necessary.
No valid reason was given for the vandalism when it was happening.
Photos shared widely depicted smokies and boiled eggs sprawled on the roadside while a County lorry towed other trolleys.
Besides ordinary Kenyans, prominent personalities also waded into the debate.
President William Ruto's Economic Advisor David Ndii called out Sakaja, accusing his government of being non-friendly to hustlers.
"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.
The economist also noted that he had previously issued a number of warnings to the Governor over his leadership style, adding that despite reaching out severally, Sakaja had not responded well to his advice.
