County askaris are feared more than the police officers in Nairobi

askariaskaris to wear uniform and badges when on duty. This law is aimed at stopping corrupt officials from extorting money from traders and members of the public.

An MCA from Nairobi said cases of arbitrary arrests, harassment and extortion by city  inspectorate and revenue collection employees had increased leading to loss of revenue to the county .The askaris do not face the full force of the law due to identification crisis. This has come as a surprise because I was at one of the offices of a bus company at around 2.00 am waiting for a connecting bus when I noticed all the workers who at the main entrance tense. Checking outside, I saw a group of about seven men in heavy coats asking one of the employee’s questions.