Nairobi governor Mike Sonko. He has vowed to fire county council officials found brutalising hawkers. [PHOTO/the-star.co.ke]
Nairobi county governor Mike Sonko has vowed to crack the whip on county council officials caught harassing hawkers in Nairobi.
Speaking during a Jubilee political rally at Uhuru Park on Saturday,the former senator said he would not hesitate to fire and charge in court the officials who will be found beating up the small time traders who mostly operate along the city's streets.
"I will not engage myself in discriminate lay offs but I swear,if you are a county council official who beats up hawkers and kill them I will not only ensure you're fire but will see to it that you are arraigned in court", he said.
Sonko added that some of the officials popularly known as 'kanjos' had carried forward their harsh strategies of dealing with traders from the past regime where brutality and extortion was the order of the day.
The former Makadara MP who trounced former governor Evans Kidero also defended hawkers saying they are people who should be engaged soberly instead of being brutalised.
The rally was also attended by president Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto among a host of other leaders who drummed up support for the duo ahead of the October 17 repeat presidential polls.