NAIROBI, KENYA — Nairobi Senators Edwin Sifuna and Karen Nyamu have raised serious concerns regarding the conduct of city enforcement officers, commonly known as “kanjos,” alleging widespread abuses against hawkers in the Central Business District (CBD).
The Senators’ remarks, made on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, highlighted what they described as inhumane treatment, including extortion, sexual abuse, and physical assault.
Senator Karen Nyamu, seeking a statement from the Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations, specifically lamented the plight of female hawkers.
Nyamu’s statement read in part: “I rise to seek a statement from the standing committee on national security, defense, and foreign relations on a matter of countywide concern regarding the ongoing abuses, harassment, and eviction of hawkers in Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) by the Nairobi City County enforcement officers.”
She further detailed the troubling incidents: “Recent events in the CBD have brought troubling incidents involving county enforcement officers against hawkers; these include physical assault, extortion, and sexual abuse, particularly targeting female hawkers. Such acts are not only unethical and unlawful but also violate Articles 28 and 29 of the Constitution,” Nyamu added.
Senator Sifuna, who also serves as the ODM Secretary General, directly criticized Governor Johnson Sakaja for his inaction despite numerous complaints. He painted a grim picture of the situation, noting that constant hawker protests sometimes impede access to his office.
Sifuna questioned the need for further training for the enforcement officers, emphasizing the basic requirement for humane conduct.
“Sometimes, even leaving KICC is a problem because hawkers are protesting every day. The inhumane manner in which these kanjos continue to handle the people, we have to call him out,” Sifuna stated.
He further questioned, “It is as if these county council askaris are incorrigible. What training do you need to be humane?”
Other Senators also weighed in, with a lawmaker from Nandi asserting that Governor Sakaja’s policies were proving ineffective.
Collectively, the Senators called for the implementation of comprehensive policies to enable hawkers to conduct their businesses with dignity and without fear of abuse.
The tartling allegations of abuse and sexual exploitation by Nairobi City County enforcement officers, came to light during a session of the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee on Wednesday, May 14, as Jenipher Wambui, a female hawker operating within the Central Business District (CBD), bravely recounted the harrowing experiences she and many of her colleagues endure.
Wambui testified before the committee that certain kanjo officers exploit their positions of authority by demanding sexual favors from hawkers in exchange for permission to conduct their businesses in the city center. She painted a grim picture of the consequences for those who refuse such advances.
“Once a Kanjo officer proposes this option and you refuse, your life as a trader in Nairobi CBD becomes unbearable,” Wambui stated. She detailed how women who resist these demands are subjected to severe physical assault, arbitrary arrests, and unlawful detention, often held at the notorious OTC General Store holding facility.
According to Wambui’s testimony, young female hawkers are particularly susceptible to this form of exploitation. She explained that even when these hawkers operate in designated areas and diligently pay all required fees, they are frequently arrested on fabricated charges and compelled to pay additional fines.
Wambui articulated the impossible choice faced by these traders: “Sometimes it doesn’t matter whether you have paid the required taxes and levies, we are left with a terrible choice: either pay weekly bribes for peace of mind or submit to the sexual demands of these officers to be able to work in a safe environment.”
In her testimony, Wambui specifically named one officer, identified as “Brown,” as a repeat perpetrator of these alleged abuses.
The powerful testimony underscores deep-seated issues within city enforcement, highlighting a pervasive environment of fear and coercion for vulnerable hawkers in Nairobi’s commercial heart.
