Police officers and county askaris clobbering a fruit vendor in Eldoret on January 11, 2018. [Photo/Joe Khisa]
Hawkers in Eldoret Town have revealed plans to launch a complaint with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).
The hawkers claimed that police officers used excessive force during an operation carried out on Thursday.
The hawkers also what Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago to direct county askaris to stop harassing them.
Speaking in Eldoret Town on Friday, the hawkers some of whom were affected by the operation, claimed that the police used live bullets which left several of them nursing injuries.
A video that captured police and county askaris clobbering one of the fruit vendors has been widely shared on various social media platform eliciting mixed reactions.
"Yesterday (Thursday) we saw the county askaris coming and we thought it was just like the other days only to see a contingent of police officers accompanying them and at this point, we realised things were not the same," said a female trader at the Eldoret market.
"These harassments have gone too far and when the police start using live bullets against hawkers then you know something is not right. We will go to the IPOA so that appropriate action is taken against police officers who were involved in the operation," noted another trader.
Uasin Gishu county officer in charge of security Paul Ruto defended the operation, saying some traders had blocked to road forcing police to lob teargas canisters to disperse them.
He, however, denied claims of the officers using live bullets.