Wakulima Market traders have warned that they will continue to disrupt business until people arrested on suspicion of being conmen are freed.
City Hall Operations director Peter Mbaya said an operation began on Wednesday for the arrest of pickpockets and muggers at the market.
Three people including
the market's chairperson, popularly known as Kiguta, and the market youth leader whom traders identified as Simon were apprehended.
A stampede ensued last evening and Starehe MP Charles Njagua, who tried to intervene, ended up injured.
“We are not fighting the county government ... city askaris should act in a humane manner and stop using excessive force," he told the Star earlier on Thursday, saying he was treated at Karen Hospital and discharged.
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The chaos extended to this morning when
traders protested and lit bonfires on Haile Selassie Avenue, disrupting traffic flow.
Police hurled tear gas canisters to contain them.
The traders denied the allegations against the arrested people and accused
City Hall officers of extortion.
But Mbaya said: "Claims that my officers extort the traders are not true. Those traders know very well that there are pickpockets among them. Why are they protecting them?"
Earlier reports indicated that the traders also took the streets as they do not want to pay high rates levied by the county government.
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