City Hall has declared the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) a ‘no-go’ zone for beggars beginning today.
Sonko’s government in a joint operation with Nairobi Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) will from today flush out beggars -most of whom are persons with disabilities.
Beggars found in the streets will be arrested and taken to designated centres while those found engaging in illegal activities could be taken to court for prosecution.
County Executive in-charge of Education, Youth and Gender Janet Muthoni Ouko said those arrested will be taken to Waithaka Rehabilitation Centre in Dagoretti.
“What has caught the attention of Nairobians is the influx of beggars especially disabled ones within the CBD and now we will no longer allow them to operate in the city,” said Ms. Ouko.
“To make it worse, most of the beggars are not Kenyans most of whom are being used by businessmen to extort Kenyans through instilling empathy.”
According to the official, there is a building in Eastleigh estate where unscrupulous businessmen operate from and decide how to deploy the beggars.
The crackdown will cover major streets in the city, including downtown Nairobi, Moi Avenue, Tom Mboya Street, Temple Street, and Ngara.
Nairobi Council of Persons with Disabilities Chairman Mohammed Gabbow said most of the disabled beggars in the city are not registered with the council.
“The beggars in the City are foreigners, and they need to be flushed out. Those who are Kenyans should sign with NCPWD for them to benefit from the programmes put in place with the National and County Governments. We are not only targeting disabled beggars but all of them. However, the flush out should be carried out in a humane manner,” said Gabbow.
