Nairobi's city authorities are grappling with a new, theatrical challenge from hawkers determined to circumvent operational rules in the Central Business District. Geoffrey Mosiria, the Nairobi County Chief Officer for Environment, has revealed a shift in tactics, describing hawkers' latest method as a calculated strategy to exploit public sympathy.
According to Mosiria, these vendors have mastered the art of "stirring drama" when confronted, and then using the resulting spectacle to their advantage.
This ploy, he says, allows the hawkers to continue selling their wares on city pavements, brazenly flouting county regulations and posing an ongoing enforcement dilemma for the city officials.
The Chief Officer referenced a clip which he posted on his TikTok page where he had sought to evict some hawkers from the city pavements.
