A group of car dealers in Nairobi have criticised county askaris popularly known as kanjos, for clamping showroom cars displayed outside the yards along Kiambu Road.
While expressing their frustrations, the dealers accused about six Members of the Nairobi County Assembly of leading the crackdown alongside the city askaris.
"These car yards pay licenses. Don't kill their businesses Mr. Sakaja, create a good working environment for car yards because they have employed a lot of hustlers who voted for you and those MCAs," alleged a car dealer.
"They are very arrogant and think Nairobi County belongs to them. Times are tough. Please let people run businesses in peace. Allow car yards to use the frontage of their leased plots, they pay hundreds of thousands in rent!"
The post by Sikika Road Safety sparked a debate online, with a section of Kenyans claiming that kanjos were right to clamp the cars parked outside the yards.
According to the pro-county askaris, the premises surrounding the car yards were under the management of the county government and other relevant authorities like the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) and even Kenya National Highway Authority ( KeNHA).
"So these dealers want to invent new laws. Laws that only suit their fans. Listen, where should the pedestrians walk? The Kanjos have the right to charge those using such spaces just like they do so in the estates. If you have a display area past the allocated space, be ready to pay for using that space," noted an online user.
"You dealers should come and visit Ngong Road to see how some car yards have blocked service lanes. You have to struggle to pass there. That's a public space and you should not inconvenience others for your convenience," claimed another social media user.
Others also accused the car yard dealers of ignorance, noting that they too, just like other Kenyans were obligated to pay parking fees.
"Ngong Road, Mombasa Road, Thika Road, Jogoo Road, etc...all of them pay, so why shouldn't these car dealers from Kiambu Road not pay? What is special about them? questioned an online user.
"Clamp them all! You are seeking sympathy by saying they are hustlers who voted Sakaja in? So??? Shows they voted him in so they could break the law," added another person.
However, others faulted the MCAs for their participation in the crackdown, noting that it was not their duty to go around clamping the cars and instead, they were elected to serve the interests of Kenyans.
"MCAs clamping vehicles? Don't they have a duty to attend to at the City Assembly? That is a failure," noted a Kenyan.
Others urged the county askaris to coordinate with car dealers to avoid such scenarios in the future.
