Woman shot dead in Nairobi battles
Citizens help a woman who was shot during the riots. She later died. Photo/CHRIS OJOW
A woman was on Wednesday shot dead as riot police engaged hawkers in running battles and lobbed teargas on people who were going home from work.
The battle between the police and the hawkers, who one week ago returned to the central business district caused major transport hitches, which continued late into the night. During the confusion, traders were forced to close their shops over looting as pick pockets had a field day.
Business came to a standstill around River Road, Tom Mboya Street, Latema street, Accra road, Luthuli avenue, Kirinyaga Road, Moi Avenue and far much into the city around Kimathi Street.
Cordoned off
Several people were arrested during the ensuing battle that prevailed for the better part of the evening. Riot police together with Nairobi City Council askaris (security guards) and Administration Police cordoned off all the roads as traffic police had a difficult time re-routing matatus and private vehicles to other safer routes.
Several hawkers and innocent wananchi (citizens) were also injured. The hawkers came back to the streets, a move that put the new Town Clerk Philip Kisia’s control on the spot. Business owners had sounded the alarm over their return to the city streets. Mr Popal Singh, a trader at Mama Ngina Street, appealed to the Town Clerk to eject the hawkers as they were a security threat and they were blocking entrances to their premises.
The chairman of Kenya Economists Association, Mr George Ojema lamented that politics was being introduced into every aspect of service delivery programmes. He said the whole issue is an ODM and PNU rivalry, which is now reaching a climax in the local authorities with the impending Mayoral elections.
“The timing of the hawkers’ return to the CBD is some sort of sabotage on the ability of Nairobi Mayor Geoffrey Majiwa to run the city and an attempt to force city residents to regret the exit of Mr Gakuo from the city hall,” he said.
The situation may get worse because of the political atmosphere as those campaigning to be elected as Mayor may want to seek the sympathy of concerned councillors by urging their voters to get into the city centre. Mr Kisia, the former chief executive of Kenyatta International Conference Centre, was appointed Town Clerk a month ago. He replaced John Gakuo whose term ended on March 31.
