The Nairobi County Government has issued a response to a viral video that captured a heated confrontation between one of its inspectorate officers and a female motorist.
County Secretary Patrick Analo addressed the media, acknowledging that the officer was in the wrong for entering the vehicle without the owner’s permission.
In the video that made rounds on social media, a female motorist, known as TikToker Ntazola Gloria, can be seen engaging in a tense exchange with an inspectorate officer in Nairobi’s Central Business District. The officer enters the motorist’s vehicle without her consent, leading to a heated argument.
While Mr. Analo recognized the officer’s misconduct, he also pointed out that the motorist should have driven directly to a police station or County Government offices to report the incident.
He explained that it is equally wrong to detain someone just because an officer has illegally entered their car, emphasizing the importance of addressing such issues through proper channels.
The County Secretary condemned the actions of both parties involved and assured the public that disciplinary action would be taken against the officer for overstepping his role.
He stated that a report from the officer and his supervisors would inform the disciplinary action, which would be fair to both the accused officer and the complainant.
Mr. Analo clarified that the law does not allow inspectorate officers to enter any private vehicle without the owner’s permission. If a motorist is suspected of attempting to flee during an inspection, officers can send an alarm to have the vehicle intercepted, rather than forcibly entering the vehicle.
Regarding the ongoing issue of informal traders or hawkers being harassed by inspectorate officers, Mr. Analo mentioned that Governor Johnson Sakaja has been actively handling the matter.
The county is in the final stages of relocating hawkers to designated areas, setting up 2,000 hawking slots with sheds in the backstreets of the city.
Additionally, designated streets will be established, allowing hawkers to access the CBD on specific days and during designated hours.
