Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has had a change of tune of Nairobi residents recording Kanjo askaris.
Making his State of the County address, the county boss made it clear he only had an issue with people obstructing his inspectorate officers from discharging their mandate.
“To set the record straight, and to be clear there is no problem recording officers as they perform their duties, if anything it increases accountability,” Sakaja said.
“However, what will not be accepted is obstruction or incitement of wananchi against them as they perform their duties. Order will be established and maintained.”
The change of heart comes barely a week after the governor gave the county enforcement officers (Kanjo) the green light to arrest the people who decide to record them when making arrests.
Speaking on Monday, Sakaja said that while the days of Kanjo's engaging in running battles with hawkers in the city are long gone, there are people who still want to sensationalise arrests.
He said that this has been largely aided by social media users who use their phones to record the arrests.
Sakaja explained that during arrests, some hawkers decide to throw away the goods they sell and this is what those who record capture.
"Zile siku Kanjo walikuwa wanafukuzana na hawkers kukimbia town siku nzima has it ever happened? No. There are no running battles, there are none. But a few people, because they are looking for clout, they want to sensationalise things. You arrest someone he or she throws their things and because of social media people come to record that they have been arrested," he said.
The Nairobi City County Inspectorate Act, 2017 outlines the mandate of the Kanjo Askari, including the do's and don'ts.
The functions of an inspectorate officer include carrying out inspections within Nairobi to ensure compliance with set standards in respect of the functions of the county government.
"The officers are supposed to regulate and control traffic on county roads and keep order and prevent obstructions in county public places," reads the act.
Also, the askaris are to provide security services to county government properties as well as perform any other duties that may be prescribed by this Act or any other written law from time to time
