This archive report was first published on 5 August 2019.
Published on August 5, 2019, hawkers in Eastleigh, who had moved from Nairobi Central Business District, are protesting alleged harassment by individuals masquerading as county officials.
According to the hawkers, they relocated to Eastleigh on the advice of Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, but have since faced difficulties making a living due to extortion.
Some hawkers have been forcefully evicted from their allocated spaces by the City Inspectorate, further exacerbating their situation.
"Those who claim to be part of a cartel are extorting money from people who are not hawkers, then allocating them spaces meant for hawkers. Those who own the spaces are being evicted, while those who have been extorted are forced to work," said Daniel Kinuthia, a hawker in Eastleigh.
