An urgent solution to the hawking standoff is needed

In a country where systems are broken, establishing a business is a daunting task, and Kenya is no different.

The licences needed both at county and national level are enough to virtually drain your start-up capital. Now imagine how hawkers feel.

They are the bottom of the pyramid in the food chain, yet they represent a key part of this country's economy. The contributions of hawkers to our GDP cannot be ignored or overlooked,  yet sometimes this seems to be what Nairobi County is doing.

On Wednesday, I tweeted that I was looking for a trench coat that would cost me between Sh2500 and Sh4000. The feedback was unanimous that I should go to Ngara and check them out, unless I wanted to spend Sh15000 at Woolworths in Sarit Centre for the same.

READ: Hawker’s journey to owning a Sh2m clothing empire

Since I needed to stretch my legs, I walked to Ngara. As usual, I was too busy on my phone tweeting or making calls to notice exactly what was happening around me as I neared Ngara. Suddenly, tear gas filled the air.

I tried to find a place to hide as I realised that I didn't have any escape options with the county askaris carrying crude weapons chasing hardworking hawkers, who were stumbling on themselves trying to save their wares while evading the askaris.

The cruelty of the askaris dealing with the hawkers broke my heart. It was clear their boss had failed to find the needed solutions. I do recall Dr Kidero promising to create an enabling environment for hawkers if they voted for him.

ACCESS TO SPACE

When the dust had settled and the hawkers were counting their losses, I managed to talk to a few. One common thread was that they are not criminals but young people trying to make a living, that many had taken loans to finance their business and that they would love a solution to the issue other than be terrorised by the county askaris. However, no one at the county government was willing to listen to them.

This was heart-breaking and I wondered, does this country care about its youth?

There are five matters which, if addressed, could form the needed solution to the hawking conundrum, not only in Nairobi, but across the country.

First, they need to be empowered. They need access to trading spaces to ensure their position in the economic chain. Fighting them and labelling them thugs is not in anyone's interest.

Secondly, the county needs to register all the hawkers. This will ensure that legitimate traders are separated from criminals operating under the guise of hawking.

COLOUR-CODED ZONES

Thirdly, once registration has been done, time zones ought to be developed across the county for them. This would create the needed balance between shops and the hawkers and remove the adversarial relationship between them. This can lead to Nairobi actually becoming a 24-hour economy, something we have been hoping for.

Fourth, spaces of operation need to be created after knowing the exact number of operators. Colour-coded zones within the CBD would enable the hawkers to operate professionally without harassment from established businesses or the county government. They could be lighted back streets or closed streets at given times that can take advantage of human traffic.

Fifth, making training available would help them improve their businesses. A lot of money circulates at the bottom of the pyramid and if harnessed well could be life changing, not only to hawkers but also the wider economy.

These five steps can create the needed balance between established businesses, hawkers and the county government. Who shall save the hawkers? Who shall save innocent entrepreneurs of this country?

Twitter: @SokoAnalyst