Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero must clamp down hard on City Council askaris operating an extortion racket in Nairobi. These officers are nothing short of common thugs and they are operating with such impunity that they have become a security menace.
A report by a local television station has highlighted the terror these rogue officers are visiting on ordinary Kenyans, a majority of whom have committed no crime.
Even more shocking in the commendable report by the station was the revelation that one of those operating with the criminals is a bodyguard to a known city politician.
It is ridiculous that in addition to worrying about being mugged, carjacked or killed, city residents going about their business in the evenings, especially from around 10.00pm, also have to look out for City Council askaris.
These officers are working in cahoots with rogue police officers that fall under the purview of the Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo.
What initially began as joint security patrols to fight rising crime in the city have slowly become an adjunct of Nairobi’s criminal underworld with the main beneficiaries being several ranking police officers, city council askaris and cops on the beat.
Since Dr Kidero took office, the enormity of the rot in the City Council is only just beginning to emerge and it is clear he has only scratched the surface.
Together with his new Cabinet, Kidero must get a grip on the security concerns facing city residents.
This also requires that the top command of the dysfunctional National Police Service get their heads out of the sand to ensure Kenya’s capital is safe.
If necessary, all the City Council askaris should be asked to reapply afresh for their jobs and be subjected to public vetting. Several senior officers in their ranks have been there for too long and have established extortion networks that prey on city residents.
The City Inspectorate Department is one of the most corrupt in the edifice that is City Hall with its officers harassing motorists during the day, treating them like hardcore criminals. This must stop forthwith.
