Nairobi buyers face arrest in hawker hotspots. Nairobi residents risk arrest if found buying goods from hawkers operating outside approved zones.
The Nairobi County Government has intensified its crackdown on illegal hawking. The warning is to public not only sellers but also buyers will face legal consequences.
Geoffrey Mosiria, Nairobi’s Chief Officer for Environment, revealed that most hawkers continue to block pedestrian paths despite having designated backlanes to operate from.
He said the congestion caused by hawkers on busy walkways inconveniences pedestrians and disrupts city order.
“We are ramping up enforcement. From now on, our teams will arrest not just hawkers in restricted areas but also those supporting them by making purchases,” Mosiria stated in a post on X.
In January 2025, Governor Johnson Sakaja ordered all hawkers to relocate to backstreets. Which stretches from Tom Mboya Street to Kirinyaga Road. This move was aimed at easing traffic and restoring structure in Nairobi’s CBD.
Under the directive, hawkers are only allowed to operate between 4pm and 10pm, Monday through Saturday.
The new rules followed a motion passed by Nairobi MCAs mandating the county government to provide organized vending spaces for hawkers.
Despite these efforts, illegal street vending has persisted, prompting tougher enforcement measures. source c digital
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