Senator Crystal Asige joins protests for disabled hawkers in CBD [Photos]

15 November 2023

• Over 50 PWD vendors spend the night in chilly weather to get Governor Johnson Sakaja’s attention.

• Speaking during the protest that saw hawkers living with disabilities converge at City Hall, Asige challenged the county Government to act on its policies and treat everyone equally.

On Tuesday 14th, nominated Senator Cyrstal Asige took part in protests for disabled hawkers in Nairobi County, as they aired their grievances about being mishandled and mistreated by county Askaris.

Speaking during the protest that saw hawkers living with disabilities converge at City Hall, Asige challenged the county Government to act on its policies and treat everyone equally.

“I don’t understand why the County government of Nairobi would push people with disabilities away from CBD when they are doing their honest businesses - trying to look for livelihood.

They are trying to empower themselves, their families and their children. People have said severally that they don’t want to see disabled people begging in the streets and I’m here to say that we don’t want handouts, all we need is our rights to be respected. That is all we are asking for and that is why we are he today,” Senator Asige said.

Asige was nominated to the senate by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM as the female representative for persons living with disabilities. She is always championing their rights on every platform she gets.

The disabled community in Nairobi held peaceful demonstrations outside the office of the governor on Tuesday 14th, 2023 to bring to his attention the unfair treatment of disabled hawkers in Nairobi.

More than 50 disabled people slept outside Sakaja's City Hall office on Tuesday after they held protests earlier against alleged harassment by the Nairobi Inspectorate officers, 'kanjos'.

They even petitioned the Senate to summon Sakaja over the alleged harassment by county askaris.

Cold nights and light showers of rain did not hinder the Nairobi business community living with disability from camping outside Governor Johnson Sakaja to be heard.

Officer Jane Wamugu of Nairobi County Disability Services stated that the protesters' complaints had been received and that a report on the matter was being prepared for the County Director's office.

“What we have to do is to have a dialogue with the county government because whatever they are saying is legitimate. What they are saying is that they’ve been discriminated against,” Ms Wamugu said.

Remarkably, in the governor's recent interaction with hawkers from the CBD, hawkers with disabilities were not invited.

Sakaja recently declared that no hawker will be permitted to operate in the carriageways and walkways of the CBD.