Mosiria Responds to Babu Owino Over Nairobi CBD Hawker Evictions
Nairobi County’s Chief Officer for Environment, Geoffrey Mosiria, has strongly responded to Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino following the controversial eviction of hawkers from pedestrian walkways in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD).
The public debate began on June 27, when a video circulated online showing Mosiria in a heated exchange with two hawkers selling oranges near the iconic National Archives area in Nairobi CBD.
The video captured a tense moment between Mosiria and the hawkers, who firmly refused to leave the walkway, despite clear warnings from the county government about tougher enforcement of city bylaws.
The confrontation quickly drew attention and sparked outrage, especially from leaders like Babu Owino, who criticized the county’s aggressive approach.
However, Mosiria did not hold back in his response. He accused Babu Owino of turning the hawkers’ struggles into a political tool for his own gain.
“There is no city in the world where poverty is used as an excuse to break the law,” Mosiria stated on Monday. “Babu Owino is trying to politicize the suffering of hawkers, yet if he were in charge of the county, he would never allow vendors to trade wherever they please.”
In a sharp counter-statement issued earlier, Babu Owino had stood up for the hawkers, condemning the county’s tactics. He said that the urban poor were being unfairly targeted and mistreated by Nairobi officials.
“The poor do not choose poverty — they are victims of their situations. Leaders are meant to serve, not abuse their power by taking advantage of vulnerable people.
Weaponizing poverty to control the masses is wrong,” Babu Owino said. “Justice isn’t a gift. Equality isn’t a privilege.
And dignity is not something to be negotiated. Every decision made by leaders impacts those with the least. Those decisions should not lead to more pain.”
The issue of hawkers operating in the city has long been a source of tension in Nairobi. In January 2025, Governor Johnson Sakaja introduced a formal ban on hawking within the CBD, listing specific streets where the practice is strictly prohibited.
These streets include Moi Avenue, Haile Selassie Avenue, Kenneth Matiba Road, Latema Road, Ronald Ngala Street, Mfangano Street, Hakati Road, and River Road.
To accommodate small traders, the county designated an alternative zone for hawking along the stretch between Tom Mboya Street and Kirinyaga Road. However, even months after the ban was announced, enforcement of the rules has remained inconsistent, and hawkers have continued to return to restricted areas.
On June 25, county officers carried out a fresh crackdown, this time focusing on hawkers who had relocated to the periphery of Uhuru Park.
According to Mosiria, some traders had blocked both sides of the public walkway near the park, prompting swift action from the authorities.
Despite the backlash, Mosiria maintained that the county government is committed to restoring order in the CBD and ensuring public spaces are kept clear.
He insisted that the enforcement operations are not meant to punish the poor, but to uphold laws that benefit everyone using the city’s shared spaces.
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