Brave hawker wrestles county askari to recover impounded clothes

There was drama along Mfangano street in Nairobi on Monday evening when a brave female hawker wrestled a male county askari who had seized the clothes she was selling.

The hawker claimed that the askari was discriminative in carrying out an operation to remove hawkers along the street selling their wares on the busy street that also houses KNUT headquarters.

"You cannot only carry my belongings and I am a single parent selling clothes to get something for my family. This can`t happen," the hawker was heard saying as she wrestled the askari.

The incident caught unsuspecting Nairobians unawares as some had lined up to board matatus plying the city centre and Kitengela route.

Some citizens were also walking to the nearby bus station to get transport to their respective homes.

In the commotion which lasted about five minutes, the action by the council askari was condemned by passersby, who accused him of being selective in his work and attacking a female hawker.

"Some of these askaris are very corrupt and can really be a bother to some hawkers who do not bribe them. The county governor Johnson Sakaja needs to do something and train them to be good people," said Chris Abele.

In the recent past, the Central business district (CBD) has witnessed running battles between the hawkers and city askaris.

This at times leads to injuries from both sides.