Police have intensified their operation to decongest footbridges in Nairobi.
Nairobi regional police boss Philip Ndolo said they want to reduce crime and ease congestion on the bridges.
Ndolo said more than 320 people had been arrested since the directive to nab those hawking on the footbridges was issued by Deputy Inspector General of Police Edward Mbugua a few days ago.
“We have so far arrested 320 people found doing business on footbridges in all the eleven subcounties in Nairobi. The arrests were conducted in swoops by all police divisions in the city,” Ndolo said.
He warned that police would not relent in executing their constitutional mandate to bring order in the city.
The police boss said the footbridges were not meant for doing business by hawkers but for pedestrians to walk on.
“Most Kenyans do not understand the law, even those educated ones. They are basically ignorant of the law,” Ndolo said.
“Policing issues have been politicized. Most politicians are trying to help their people evade the law while they are on the wrong.”
Ndolo said a politician made phone calls to various senior police officials including him over the arrests. He wanted the hawkers to be released from custody unconditionally.
He said the politician’s demands were turned down. All the hawkers were arraigned and fined between Sh2,500 and Sh5,000.
The police boss said there were no special constituencies and politicians should encourage their electorate to abide by the rule of law.
“Politicians and busybodies must stop interfering with police work,” Ndolo said.
He said that there were human rights organisations that don’t appreciate police work. They have never seen anything positive about the police.
Ndolo said such activists only look for police failings.
“Certain human rights organizations don’t appreciate work done by the police, for instance, in the Lang’ata incident where a police officer was knocked down by a motorist,” he said.
“There would have been demonstrations if it was a police officer who killed a motorist. This is unfair.”
