Man left in ICU after confrontation with hawkers in Eastleigh

A shocking video circulating online has drawn outrage after showing a man being brutally assaulted in Eastleigh, Nairobi, in an incident that Nairobi County officials say exposes the growing impunity of street hawkers in the area.

The undated footage, filmed on one of Eastleigh’s busiest streets, captures a chaotic scene where a man is surrounded and beaten by a group of people while others stand by, watching in shock.

 A few brave bystanders try to intervene, but the violence leaves the victim severely injured. He is now fighting for his life in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

According to Nairobi County Chief Officer for Environment Geoffrey Mosiria, the attack occurred after the man requested hawkers to clear the road so that he could pass and attend to a family emergency.

 Instead of yielding, the hawkers allegedly blocked his way and turned on him when he stepped out of his vehicle to plead with them.

“This young man, who was beaten as though he were a thief, had only requested the Jam Street hawkers to allow him to pass. Instead of letting him through, they attacked him until he ended up in the ICU,” Mosiria said.

The incident has sparked renewed debate about hawking in Eastleigh, where entire roads have been transformed into open-air markets, often blocking both motorists and pedestrians.

Mosiria condemned the violence, describing it as the height of impunity.

“For how long will people continue to suffer in the name of earning a living? Hawkers who are clearly in the wrong still believe they have the right to attack innocent people who also have the right to use the road,” he said.

The official warned that Nairobi County would no longer tolerate lawlessness linked to unregulated hawking, illegal dumping, and blocked drainage systems.

“As a government, we cannot remain silent and watch people behave as if there are no rules and regulations governing our county. The law is very clear, and such behavior will not be tolerated,” Mosiria added.

The attack has stirred public emotion, with many Nairobians expressing sympathy for the victim and calling for stronger enforcement of laws regulating hawking in the city.

Others, however, argue that hawkers—many struggling to make ends meet—should be given safer, designated trading spaces to avoid confrontations like the one that left a man hospitalized.

For now, the Eastleigh incident remains a stark reminder of the fragile balance between livelihoods and law and order in Nairobi’s bustling streets.