This archive report was first published on 31 July 2019.
On July 30, 2019, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko led a dramatic security operation against a group of panga-wielding men in South B estate. The men were allegedly hired by a city tycoon to take over a public playing field.
According to videos posted on social media by Sonko, a contingent of security officials, led by the governor, cornered the group of about a dozen young men and confiscated their weapons. Other goons managed to escape by climbing over walls, with Sonko and his team in hot pursuit.
During the operation, Sonko was seen in the thick of things, helping the officers round up the goons. One of his aides intervened to prevent the governor from using his walking stick to whip the men.
One of the men claimed that an individual named 'Horeria' had hired them to protect the land from invasion. Residents of South B, who had tipped off the governor, alleged that the land grabber had earlier sent police to man the land.
Sonko condemned the goons for their actions and stated that his administration would develop the field into an ultra-modern recreational place.
