Business people and residents in Nairobi have lauded the decision taken by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja to order the removal of hundreds of illegal hawkers’ tents that dotted the city’s streets within the Central Business District (CBD).
The tents mostly along Moi Avenue – Kenya cinema and Gillhouse, have since been wrapped up following the governor’s orders much to the joy of traders and other pedestrians who had to endure congested streets due to the space taken up by the tents and the traders as they sell their wares such as second hand cloths and shoes.
Residents said that the tents rendered the streets of Nairobi dirty and unsafe making the CBD a galore of confusion and have expressed their joy that Governor Sakaja, through his officers led by the Director Governance, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Nairobi City County Government Daniel Masetu removed the tents to reclaim the glory and dignity of the city. They have called on Sakaja not to listen to people who want to reclaim the illegal business owing to their support for his candidature at the last general elections.
A trader at a mobile phones accessories shop near the Kenya Cinema building Salome Wanjiru said that their businesses did not attract customers as they should since the congestion often discouraged a flow of human traffic near the area.
Another who works at a bookshop said that the tents harboured illegal hawkers who harass passersby and therefore discouraging even would be customers from using that route and this meant a reduction of revenue for their shops.
“Customers avoid using this street because there is a lot of congestion. When you have tents on one side and the parking for vehicles right next, where will pedestrians pass? posed Wanjiru.
According to sources, powerful cartels infiltrated and run the illegal tents business and are working hard to have the governor revert his decision.
The tents project was conceived during the Evans Kidero term as Nairobi Governor and was designed to have one or two days in a month when traders would be allowed to rent the tents and sell their wares.
City cartels then took advantage of the confusion within the county to return the tents illegally much to the detriment of traders who pay licences and rent for their shops and their businesses as opposed to the hawkers outside who sell the same items available in shops but at a cheaper price.
Daniel Muli, a worker with Finetech company in Westlands and who lives in Langata lamented the congestion that the tents had occasioned lauding the move to have them removed.
“In the evening when you are tired from work and heading home you have to struggle to get to the bus stop for you to board a matatu home. The tents are all over the streets and sometimes they are even a source of insecurity. I once witnessed a lady’s mobile phone snatched and the thief went behind one of the tents before disappearing. It was very sad and I am happy that they have been removed,” Muli said.
