County askaris accused of harassing traders and misusing their powers could soon face legal punishment, as the Senate considers new legislation to curb abuse by enforcement officers in devolved units.

The proposal, now before the Senate’s Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, seeks to introduce clear regulations and penalties for rogue county enforcement officers.

This follows persistent reports of harassment—especially in urban centres like Nairobi—where informal traders, particularly women, have suffered intimidation, extortion and physical violence.

The push was initiated by Nominated Senator Beatrice Ogola, who raised concerns over the growing impunity of inspectorate officers during a Senate session.

“While county enforcement units are central to implementing devolved laws, frequent complaints have emerged about the heavy-handed treatment of informal traders and members of the public,” she said.

Ogola has called for a national framework to guide the recruitment, training, and oversight of askaris, and asked the committee to establish whether the Kenya School of Government provides standardised training for the officers.

The Senate committee, led by Wajir Senator Abass Sheikh, is expected to develop legislative guidelines that ensure county enforcement respects human dignity and protects informal livelihoods.

Urgency for reform has been heightened by disturbing testimonies from traders like Wanjiru, a female hawker in Nairobi, who recounted repeated abuse and sexual harassment by city inspectorate officers.

“I have experienced it personally. My colleagues have also been told to sleep with these officers in exchange for freedom to hawk,” she told MCAs.

She singled out an officer known as “Brown” who allegedly leads a group that targets women for exploitation.

“They don’t woo us or make advances. They simply expect us to comply,” she said, adding that she was violently attacked in March after rejecting their demands.

“They came back, confiscated my goods, assaulted me and dragged me along the ground. Their leader called me a prostitute and said I would never sell there again.”

Wanjiru revealed she had sustained back injuries from the assault, wore a spinal belt, and was undergoing treatment.

“There was a brief lull, then an even more brutal assault followed. Despite the pain, I have no choice but to keep speaking out,” she said. “I can’t take my children to school. I have bills to pay and I’m surviving on loans from friends. I just want justice—and my items returned.”

Another hawker, Hellen, said such abuse was routine.

“This is nothing new. You either pay a weekly bribe or sleep with one of them,” she said, withholding her identity for safety.

The shocking reports come just months after Governor Johnson Sakaja reshuffled Nairobi's Inspectorate Department.

However, Acting Chief Officer Eva Wangechi Wairiuko and City Inspectorate Director Benjamin Omondi skipped a summons to appear before the County Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee.

Mugumo-ini MCA Jared Akama, who chairs the committee, confirmed that investigations into Wanjiru’s case are ongoing.

“We will take action. The heads of the Inspectorate department will be summoned next week to answer to these serious allegations,” he said.

CBD MCA Mwaniki Kwenya also tabled a petition citing similar misconduct and demanded suspension of the department’s leadership. “I have also been harassed by officers while trying to protect hawkers,” he said.

Such brutality is not isolated to Nairobi. Similar reports have surfaced in Uasin Gishu, Eldoret, Mombasa, and Nakuru, prompting calls for the fast-tracking of laws to protect informal workers and restore public confidence in county enforcement.

If enacted, the proposed law would set national standards and punishments for misconduct, offering hope of justice for victims and raising accountability across all 47 counties.