Senate in new push to tame rogue county askaris

A fresh push to confront abuse by county askaris has taken centre stage in the Senate, following disturbing testimonies from hawkers and traders who have accused enforcement officers of harassment, extortion and sexual violence in major towns, especially Nairobi.

The effort, sparked by a statement from nominated Senator Beatrice Ogola, seeks to introduce tough legislation that would regulate how county inspectorate officers operate, as public pressure mounts over their unchecked power and violent conduct.

“While county enforcement units are central to implementing devolved laws, frequent complaints have emerged about the heavy-handed treatment of informal traders and members of the public,” Ogola told the Senate.

Her concerns have now been handed over to the Senate’s Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, which is chaired by Wajir Senator Abass Sheikh.

The committee is expected to review the current legal frameworks and propose a national law that will not only govern the recruitment and training of askaris but also establish penalties for misconduct.

Ogola also urged the committee to investigate whether the Kenya School of Government has any standardised training for enforcement officers.

Calls for urgent reforms have been driven by alarming stories from victims like Wanjiru, a Nairobi trader, who told the Nairobi County Assembly how she was repeatedly assaulted and sexually harassed by a group of askaris led by an officer identified as “Brown”.

“I have experienced it personally. My colleagues have also been told to sleep with these officers in exchange for freedom to hawk,” Wanjiru testified.

She recounted an incident in March when she was attacked after rejecting their demands. “They came back, confiscated my goods, assaulted me and dragged me along the ground. Their leader called me a prostitute and said I would never sell there again.”

Wanjiru said she sustained back injuries from the attack, now wears a spinal belt and is undergoing medical treatment.

“There was a brief lull, then an even more brutal assault followed. Despite the pain, I have no choice but to keep speaking out,” she said.

“I can’t take my children to school. I have bills to pay, and I’m surviving on loans from friends. I just want justice, and my items returned.”

Another hawker, Hellen, backed the claims and described the abuse as normalised.

“This is nothing new. You either pay a weekly bribe or sleep with one of them,” she said, withholding her identity out of fear.

The allegations come in the wake of a recent reshuffle of Nairobi's Inspectorate Department by Governor Johnson Sakaja.

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However, Acting Chief Officer Eva Wangechi Wairiuko and City Inspectorate Director Benjamin Omondi failed to appear before the County Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee when summoned.

Mugumo-ini MCA Jared Akama, who chairs the committee, confirmed investigations into Wanjiru’s case are ongoing.

“We will take action. The heads of the Inspectorate department will be summoned next week to answer to these serious allegations,” he said.

CBD MCA Mwaniki Kwenya also tabled a petition calling for the suspension of the department’s leadership, citing similar incidents.

“I have also been harassed by officers while trying to protect hawkers,” he said.

Although most attention has focused on Nairobi, similar complaints have emerged from Eldoret, Mombasa, Nakuru and Uasin Gishu, where traders have also reported abuse by county askaris.

Currently, each county operates under its own inspectorate laws, with no national framework to regulate conduct.

If enacted, the proposed legislation would standardise enforcement practices across all 47 counties and offer a clear path to justice for victims of abuse.