Relocation of hawkers from CBD divides traders, stirs political rift

The latest directive by Nairobi City County to eject hawkers from the city centre has triggered significant political tension, with leaders clashing over its fairness and execution.

Traders are deeply divided into two camps: those supporting the move and those opposing it. The traders are further split between those aligned with the current government and those backing former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who has expressed strong disapproval of plans to move traders from the Central Business District (CBD).

On January 6, 2025, through a directive from the office of the Governor, hawkers were notified that they would need to vacate the city centre.

They were instructed to operate from backstreet lanes from Monday to Saturday, between 4pm and 10pm. The designated backstreets are within a zone from Tom Mboya Street to Kirinyaga Road, with no hawking allowed on main streets, such as Moi Avenue, Haile Selassie Avenue, Kenneth Matiba Road, Latema Road, Ronald Ngala Street, Mfangano Street, Hakati Street, and River Road.

The directive has been enforced by the County, but many traders and leaders have accused the local government of making a rushed decision without proper consultation.

Some traders argue that the backstreet lanes are not suitable for selling goods, such as fruits and vegetables. They say the area is poorly maintained, making it difficult to conduct business in a hygienic and safe environment. Traders are concerned that the County’s plan has not adequately addressed their needs or provided any viable alternatives. Starehe Member of Parliament (Mp) Amos Mwago, whose constituency, includes the city centre where most of the hawkers operate argues that the decision to eject the traders is politically motivated. “The hawkers’ leadership wasn’t consulted, and I don’t know how this plan is supposed to work, because there are no shades on the backstreet lanes,” said Mwago.

He further pointed out that over Sh100 million was allocated last year for the design and construction of shades and the marking of backstreet lanes, but very little progress has been made. “The few shades that were built have been vandalised, and the backstreets are dirty,” he added.

Governor Johnson Sakaja, however, has defended the decision, claiming that it is part of the efforts to clean up the city and improve its overall environment. “We haven’t chased the hawkers, but we’ve simply asked them to move to the backstreets. Nairobians are happy that we are cleaning the city,” he said during a church service at the Pentecostal Church of Kenya in Dagoretti North yesterday, adding that the City Centre Member of County Assembly (MCA) supported the move.

As tensions continue to rise, it appears that this issue is becoming a political battleground between the Governor and his critics. Some representatives of small-scale businesspeople from Nairobi markets also met with Deputy President Kindiki Kuthure yesterday at his Karen residence, in a meeting organised by former Starehe MP Charles Kanyi (alias Jaguar). The meeting focused on interventions by the National Government to supplement the efforts of the Nairobi City County Government in supporting traders in the CBD. However, Starehe MP Mwago expressed dissatisfaction with the meeting, claiming it was a political move to gain support in Mount Kenya. “The traders who attended the meeting were not genuine representatives of the business community,” Mwago alleged.

Wakulima Market Chairman Nelson Githaiga, who attended the meeting with the Deputy President, offered a different perspective. He stated that the meeting brought together key leaders from the city centre, including market chairpersons, to discuss issues affecting traders.