Tensions flared in the Nairobi Central Business District on Friday night after a Nairobi County Government vehicle was set ablaze by hawkers following a heated altercation near Afya Centre on Tom Mboya Street.
According to eyewitness accounts, the confrontation began when county enforcement officers attempted to apprehend a female mango vendor operating along the busy street. The woman reportedly resisted the arrest and raised an alarm, drawing the attention of fellow hawkers and members of the public who quickly rallied to her defense.
The situation rapidly escalated, with some of the protestors retaliating by setting fire to a county-branded vehicle that had been parked at the scene. Thick plumes of smoke billowed into the air as the vehicle burned, forcing pedestrians and nearby businesses to temporarily shut down as tensions soared.
Amid the unrest, demonstrators were heard chanting “Sakaja must go,” in reference to Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, expressing growing dissatisfaction with the county’s ongoing crackdown on informal traders in the city center. Protesters accused the county administration of heavy-handed tactics and called for dialogue to address the plight of hawkers.
“We are not criminals. We are just trying to earn a living,” shouted one hawker, calling on county leaders to create inclusive policies that recognize the economic contribution of informal traders.