Geoffrey Mosiria, the Nairobi County Chief Officer for Citizen Engagement and Customer Service, made a blunt appeal to residents this Thursday, December 11, 2025. He urged the public to stop giving money to individuals on the streets.
In a post on his X account, Mosiria detailed his reasons, stating that what appears to be an act of kindness is actually “fuelling a hustle that is destroying our city”.
Mosiria argued that financial handouts encourage people to stay on the streets and create a cycle of dependency and crime.
He suggested buying food instead of giving cash to the families.
Giving money, he claims, encourages them to continue their street life, and when money is lacking, they allegedly “turn into predators and steal from you”.
“Niliwaambia don’t give street families money. Instead, buy them food. Money encourages them to continue staying in the streets, and when they lack money, they will turn into predators and steal from you,” Mosiria said.
He added that many of the beggars, particularly the women, are simply “lazy” and have turned charitable citizens into their “daily hustle”.
The Chief Officer went further, claiming that the begging on Nairobi’s streets is not simply desperation but an organised, highly profitable enterprise.
He challenged the public to question where the beggars go after dark.
“Ask yourself, where do they go after 7pm? They all disappear and go back to their homes,” he asserted.
Mosiria claimed that most individuals with disabilities begging on the streets are from a neighbouring country.
These individuals, he alleged, are “owned by one person who is making millions of money monthly” from this ‘disability begging business’.
He compared the begging business to a legitimate enterprise, noting that its “owners” even complain when “business ya kuomba imekuwa down”.
Mosiria believes that if the public stops providing money, the people will leave the streets.
He also suggested an extreme way to prove that the beggars have families and resources:
“If you want to know that street families have homes and relatives, gonga mmoja na gari ndio utajua familia yao wako na pesa, watakukimbisha na kesi hadi usote,” he said.
He concluded with an appeal for a change in approach, urging Kenyans to support small businesses rather than giving “free money to people who can be empowered”.
