Police arrest dozen in Eastleigh after hawkers clash with shop-owners

NAIROBI—Hawkers in Nairobi’s Eastleigh market have taken to the streets on Saturday afternoon, lighting tires and causing mayhem along the streets which are usually busy on a weekend afternoon.

The police have been called in to tame the protest which turned violent. A number of people were injured in the running battle.

Shop-owners repel hawkers on Saturday in Eastleigh. Photo/ Twitter

Vincent Mulwa, a resident said his colleague was injured by the police.

“He was injured by the police as he was going home. He was neither a hawker nor a shop-owner,” he told Kulan Post.

Another man was injured after the hawkers mistook him for a shop owner. He was taken to Madina Hospital where he was treated for a light head injury.

22-year old Ahmed Dayib, a shop-owner was also injured after irate hawkers attacked him at his shop. He was taken to the hospital.

“Julias Kimani, who hawks on second-hand shoes said the land that belongs to the hawkers has been grabbed and malls set up.

“We are calling on the government to return our land,” he said.

Dozen hawkers have been arrested, according to the Pangani police boss.

The mall owners in Eastleigh went on a three-day protest last months following frustration by tenants who accused the hawkers of obstructing customers from accessing their shops.

The government intervened after the third day and the hawkers were swept away from the streets. Since then, a number of demonstration were held where the hawkers appealed to the government to return their land “which was grabbed by private developers.”