Sakaja justifies presence of hawkers in Nairobi’s CBD
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has said hawkers within the city are there to stay. While speaking during a radio interview, Governor Sakaja justified the presence of the hawkers in the city’s CBD.
The governor said there is no difference between the hawkers and office workers because they are all working for a livelihood for their families.
“There is someone who will complain about hawkers while he is wearing a suit at work to fend for his children. But because he has had a little challenge accessing a matatu home, he will say these hawkers should not be there,” Sakaja said.
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The governor said those who were complaining about hawkers were only looking down on other’s work, yet hawkers make their livelihood through lawful means.
Sakaja, who is serving his first term as governor, further said the people who should be blamed for the presence of hawkers in the city are the previous county bosses.
“We have always failed as a government to build markets. We have failed to give them opportunities to work,” he said.
At the same time, the governor said plans are underway to relocate these hawkers to backstreets in order to maintain cleanliness within the CBD.
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“All the hawkers have been registered and they will soon get a spot where they will be operating from,” Sakaja said.
Hawkers in Nairobi seems to have gotten the governor’s full attention and have been promised to be allocated space within the CBD to carry out their activities unhindered.
According to the Governor, hawkers are among the people who have been prioritized by the Kenya Kwanza administration and will be allowed to operate with no undue hindrance from the county government.
The plan has however been criticized by the residents who feel the city will be a mess if hawkers are allowed to remain within the CBD.
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