On Tuesday, Nominated Senator Crystal Asige took the lead as street vendors with disabilities staged a protest in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) along Moi Avenue.
The vendors hit the streets expressing their discontent with the Nairobi County Government’s decision to categorize them as hawkers, paralyzing transport in most streets for the better part of the day. The vendors marched to Governor Johnson Sakaja’s office at City Hall.
Their primary demands included justice and a revision of existing laws and regulations that they argued unfairly discriminate against individuals with disabilities engaged in street vending.
Throughout the protest, the vendors protested that being labeled as hawkers has resulted in their eviction from the streets of Nairobi, which they rely on for their livelihoods. Surprisingly, the Nairobi County Government claimed to be unaware of the demonstration.
“I am not aware of any demonstrations; I am just learning from you now,” stated a senior County Government official.
This came over Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s recent prohibition of hawking in specific zones of the CBD, a decision announced on October 25. Governor Sakaja emphasized that the ban was necessary to restore order and sanity in the city.
Over the years, business owners in the CBD had consistently voiced complaints about hawkers and vendors obstructing access to their establishments.
The County Government implemented the ban along the Tom Mboya section leading to Moi Avenue, aiming to prevent hawkers from congesting CBD pavements and causing disruptions to commuter movement. The ban followed a consultative meeting between inspectorate officers and hawker representatives.
Subsequently, the County Government has initiated the enforcement of the ban, marking a significant development in the ongoing efforts to regulate street vending in Nairobi.
By Newsmedia