Nairobi County Chief Officer for Environment Geoffrey Mosiria has responded to widespread online criticism following a viral video showing a heated exchange between him and a hawker in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD).
In a statement posted on his X account on Saturday, June 28, Mosiria defended his position, stating that enforcing city by-laws is not an attack on the poor but a necessary step to restore order and fairness.
“It’s truly unfortunate that a leader, who should be offering real solutions to the challenges we face in restoring order in the CBD, is instead encouraging hawkers to block pedestrian walkways and justifying it by saying they are poor,” Mosiria said.
He maintained that poverty does not grant individuals the right to flout regulations at the expense of others.
“The reality is, poverty is not unique to those hawking on the walkways. Even those who have followed the rules and are selling from designated back lanes are struggling. They, too, are poor and trying to earn a living with dignity,” he added.
Mosiria also criticized hawkers who obstruct shop entrances and undercut licensed traders, saying such actions create an unfair business environment.
“To make matters worse, they often sell the exact same products as the shop owners, but at lower prices. This creates unfair competition and puts law-abiding business owners at risk of losing their livelihoods.”
Addressing the viral nature of the incident, Mosiria lamented what he described as performative outrage on social media.
“What saddens me most is the growing trend where leaders only show up when someone is trending online.”
In a pointed rebuke, he also called out Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, who had earlier criticised him over the same incident.
“If Babu Owino genuinely wants to help, let him not focus on just one woman because she went viral after I posted her situation. Let him come to the CBD and help all struggling hawkers get off the streets and find sustainable alternatives—not for social media likes, but out of genuine care.”
Mosiria concluded by saying that while his efforts may not be publicised, he has helped many vulnerable individuals move off the streets and into safer environments.
“Let Babu tell us how many he has personally rescued or supported,” he challenged.
The debate continues as Nairobi grapples with how to regulate informal trading in a way that balances public order with economic survival for the city’s most vulnerable.
