Hawkers to be shut out of Nyayo Stadium during Madaraka Day

A hawker selling clothes on Kimathi Lane on May 29, 2015. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE |

What you need to know:

  • Regional County Commissioner says they will only be allowed to operate outside.
  • Hawkers are also set to be evicted from the CBD.

Hawkers will not be allowed into Nyayo Stadium during the Madaraka Day celebrations on Monday.

Nairobi Regional County Commissioner Njoroge Ndirangu has said the hawkers will only be allowed to operate outside the stadium gates before and after the event.

“Because of security reasons, hawkers will not be allowed to sell their wares inside the venue,” he said.

Mr Ndirangu stated that adequate security would be deployed on Monday especially around the stadium.

He was speaking at a Nairobi hotel during a meeting of the National Celebrations Committee where he stated that security would be enhanced within the city and around the estates.

Celebration Committee chairman Mohamed Barre called on Kenyans to show up in record numbers.

“It is unfortunate that some of us operate shops during such important events. Let us be patriotic and attend national celebrations because they are meant for us.

“In Nairobi we have never had a big problem with numbers but we want record crowds this year,” he said.

LEAVE CBD

Meanwhile, Nairobi County has issued a notice to hawkers asking them to leave the Central Business District or be forcefully moved out.

County Trade executive committee member Anna Othoro said some of the hawkers had "fraudulently" obtained electronic licenses and gone to court to stop the county from ejecting them.

She declared the licenses of all informal traders within the city revoked, with newspaper vendors and shoe shiners exempted.

“We are asking the hawkers to get out peacefully and if they do not we will have to use force,” she said.

The notice will move out traders operating in the open including shoes and clothes vendors who have invaded the CBD.

Mrs Othoro said those operating all the way to Westlands and Upperhill are still within the CBD and should leave.

She added that city residents buying from hawkers will also be arrested and fined Sh2,000 for encouraging them to leave the markets set aside for such activities.

Mrs Othoro said the county had blocked the informal license option on its ejijipay platform and would have to verify the location of a trade before issuing licenses.

They have also chosen the Gill House parking lot as a special "flea market" to operate on specific Saturday and Sundays for vetted hawkers.