A viral video has sparked outrage after it showed a child locked in a Nairobi City County vehicle while her mother, a hawker, pleaded for the return of both her merchandise and the child.
The incident, which took place on Tom Mboya Street, has raised questions about the conduct of the city’s askaris, who were reportedly involved in confiscating the hawker’s goods for alleged illegal vending.
In the undated video, the scene unfolds after the county inspectorate and revenue collection officers, commonly known as kanjos, had seized the hawker’s stock.
The footage shows the child inside the county vehicle, visibly distressed and crying for her mother.
While it is unclear if the kanjos placed the child in the vehicle, one official suggests the mother might have done so as a last resort to have her merchandise returned.
As the commotion escalates, pedestrians gather, demanding the child’s release before allowing the vehicle to move.
The woman, seemingly in distress, argues with a city official, who is heard implying that the child might have been placed in the vehicle by the mother.
“We ndiye umemweka (ndani ya gari), the official says, indicating the possibility of the mother’s involvement in the child being locked inside.
The video ends with the child being released from the vehicle by one of the officers.
While the footage has drawn significant attention online, questions remain about the treatment of hawkers and their families during such operations, prompting calls for accountability and better oversight of city enforcement practices.
