County to hire 250 askaris

Hawkers in migori town. [Caleb King’wara]

Kisumu County Government wants to hire at least 250 enforcement officers to help restore order among small traders in the town ahead of the 2021 Africities Conference.

City manager Doris Ombara yesterday lamented that the shortage of officers had resulted in a weak inspectorate, which has seen hawkers control many streets.

“Our inspectorate is sketchy because unlike Nairobi and Mombasa which have 600-plus inspectorate staff, Kisumu only has 72, and 52 are in the revenue collection, leaving about 20 which is too little to handle the issue,” she said.

She said the governor is planning a strong recruitment starting with at least 250 inspectorate officers who are well-trained and can work under strict supervision to bring order in the city.