Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii has ordered all enforcement officers popularly known as Kanjos to work while in uniform.
The move is in what Bii said is aimed at stopping a group of former county workers who have been going around harassing traders and extorting money from them claiming to work for the devolved unit yet they were dismissed from work a long time ago due to such complaints from residents.
Speaking to traders and matatu operators at the Eldoret main stage, Governor Bii further said all the county askaris will have to operate in new uniforms for identification purposes to stop further harassment of traders.
The new uniforms are scheduled for official launch in the next few weeks.
“I will be launching the new enforcement officers’ uniforms as soon as next week as part of my efforts to reform them so that you don’t keep feeling intimidated by them,” the governor told traders.
“We have picked a uniform so that when you see them, you get the feeling of a fellow Kenyan. We also want to work on the language they will be using when engaging you,” he added.
Streamline the enforcement team
Over the years, the county enforcement officers have been blamed for harassing traders – a vice the county boss wants do to away with.
He has pledged to streamline the enforcement team and make it friendly to the traders and locals, unlike the current situation.
“I am going to streamline my enforcement officers and going forward, if you want to know that someone is working with the county, he/she must be in a designated uniform,” Bii said.
“We will not tolerate anybody who handles traders using dirty language and looking down upon them. We want everybody to be handled in a humane way,” he added.
Further, the governor asked locals not to allow them to be harassed into bribing individuals who claim to be county enforcement officers.
He admitted that there are a number of sacked kanjos who have been going rounds demanding money from traders.
