Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has warned Nairobi County Environment Chief Officer Geoffrey Mosiria to tread carefully after a heartbreaking video surfaced showing Mosiria in a heated confrontation with hawkers in Nairobi’s CBD.
The now viral clip, which has sparked widespread outrage, captures a moment where Mosiria orders a hawker with a toddler strapped to her back to vacate a public walkway.
In an emotional plea, the woman begs, “Kindly allow us to mourn. We are mourning. Kindly leave us alone, please, urging officials to show empathy and redirect their focus to supporting businesses vandalised during recent protests.”
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino gestures during a past function
Owino, responding via his X account on Saturday, June 28, condemned Mosiria’s actions as insensitive and detached from the realities facing many urban poor. The poor are not poor by choice but by circumstance, Owino wrote. Leaders should serve the people, not weaponise poverty against them.
The legislator emphasised that justice and dignity should never be negotiable and called for a county leadership that listens to and uplifts vulnerable residents rather than criminalising their survival. Justice is not charity. Equality is not a favour. Dignity is not negotiable, Owino added.
In his defence, Mosiria insisted that his actions were in line with enforcing county regulations and maintaining public order. He accused the hawkers of blocking pathways and disrupting legitimate businesses. They felt entitled to occupy pavements and obstruct shop owners. This is not fair. It is not lawful, Mosiria said.
The encounter comes in the wake of a recent county ban on street vending in main commercial zones, a move that has drawn criticism for disproportionately affecting informal traders.
Nairobi County Environment Chief Officer Geoffrey Mosiria patrols Nairobi CBD at night
This public clash underscores growing tensions between enforcing civic order and protecting the rights of informal workers. Owino’s remarks reflect mounting pressure on county leaders to balance regulation with compassion, especially in economically strained environments.
As debate rages online one message emerges: empathy must guide enforcement. Nairobi’s leadership faces increasing calls to respect dignity and create inclusive policies that protect not punish the city’s most vulnerable.