This archive report was first published on 7 August 2019.
On Tuesday, a demolition exercise along the Railway line in Nairobi's Landimawe ward left over 500 hawkers without stalls and shops.
According to eyewitnesses, the demolitions were carried out by the Railways station police together with some county officials who did not provide the traders with a vacation notice.
‘‘We were not given any notice to this effect, police came themselves and demolished our stalls as we watched helplessly but we did not engage them,’’ said Joyce Wangari, one of the demolition victims.
The traders are now blaming the police and Nairobi County Government officials for not following the law by not giving them notice before destroying their properties.
‘‘We are now being taken left and right and Sonko is nowhere to help us..we were he cheering Sonko and the president when they were here now we cannot even reach him,” they said.
Twelve traders have been arrested and locked in Railways Police station for unknown counts.
The area has been a tussle ground between the traders and the company owners for some time now.
The police have also warned traders against setting foot or erecting any stalls in the area, adding that those who will defy the order will be arrested.
