Nairobi County's administration has raised concerns over a surge in cases of individuals faking disabilities to solicit money from the public.

The County’s Chief Officer for Environment, Geoffrey Mosiria, said the disability scams have evolved into a lucrative underground industry, with cartels exploiting both foreign nationals and local residents, including those who are genuinely disabled.

“While some people have real disabilities, they too are being abused and manipulated for profit,” Mosiria explained.

According to him, many of the impostors are ferried into Nairobi from neighboring countries, where they are recruited into an organized begging ring.

He referenced a recent incident captured on video showing a young boy feigning a disability while begging. The child, Mosiria said, was part of a larger group being controlled by handlers who collect the proceeds.

“These are not isolated cases. In some situations, when these individuals refuse to beg, they are subjected to physical abuse. Often, you’ll see them positioned in crowded spaces, and whenever a passerby donates money, someone else quickly emerges to take it away,” he added.

Mosiria described the racket as a “multimillion-shilling enterprise” driven purely by greed, with no regard for the dignity or welfare of those involved.

He appealed to city residents to share information on safe houses or locations where the exploited individuals are kept, and to help identify the organizers. Many beggars, he noted, are dropped at busy street corners in the early morning and picked up in the evening, further signaling a coordinated operation.

“People with disabilities deserve respect, protection, and opportunities not humiliation on the streets,” Mosiria emphasized.

Street begging is a longstanding challenge in Nairobi, especially in bustling commercial zones. While poverty and unemployment are major factors, county authorities warn that organized criminal exploitation has deepened the crisis.

The Nairobi County Government says it will strengthen surveillance, collaborate with law enforcement to dismantle the cartels, and promote genuine initiatives that empower people living with disabilities rather than exploiting them.

In November 2024, the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) called for an immediate probe into the influx of beggars into Kenya.

The Council has indicated that the surge in the number of beggars, some of whom are suspected to originate from neighbouring countries, was a cause for concern.

NCPWD Rift Valley Regional Director, Isaac Rogito, said that various investigative and security agencies had already established that the beggars, who were mostly children, were victims of a part of an East African Community (EAC) syndicate of criminals, who traffic children to act as beggars in towns within the region, to benefit from the trade.

Rogito stated that most of them are trafficked into the country with the promise that they will make good money out of begging, but sadly, the money they get ends up in the pockets of the traffickers.