Kisumu county governor Prof Anyang Nyong’o has bowed to pressure from Netizens after inhumane askaris were filmed dragging a hawker on the tarmac.
“As investigations continue on this matter with the urgency it deserves, I have directed the City Manager to immediately suspend from duty all the officers who were involved in this incident with immediate effect, until the conclusion of the ongoing probe on the matter,” the governor said in a statement.
Beatrice Atieno was arrested by the city askaris for selling her oranges and lemons on the pavements of the Kisumu central business district.
From the video making rounds on social media, one could see angry Boda Boda riders chasing after the pick-up trying to appeal to them to stop dragging the woman on the road.
Rogue Kisumu County askaris dragging a woman hawker on the tarmac with their vehicle. The impunity that this County Government has is on another level. And instead of taking the injured to hospital, they are rushing to Central Police Station to have the culprit detained. pic.twitter.com/iU4SmyiTw4
— 🇯🇴BABU (@alaminkimathi) March 24, 2021
The askaris drove to Kisumu Central Police Station where the injured woman was later released after a scuffle ensued between the askaris and the angry mob.
The 39-year-old woman had bruises on the left hip and knee as well as tattered clothes.
While away in Nairobi on official Council of Governors’ meetings, I have been saddened
and shocked by a very unfortunate incident in Kisumu, following the arrest and mishandling of a lady trader by the City's enforcement officers yesterday morning. pic.twitter.com/aRP0BsFAmP— Gov. Anyang' Nyong'o (@AnyangNyongo) March 25, 2021
This is just Kisumu, and thanks to modern-day technology it was caught on camera. The real inhumane acts and torture happen when the cameras are off.
One even wonders, what are the qualifications of being a city council askari? Re-uniformed thugs?
