Nairobi residents risk arrest for buying goods from hawkers in the Central Business District if the Trade Bill is passed.
If passed by Nairobi MCAs, the Bill will have people buying goods from street vendors arrested and fined in a court of law.
Trade CEC Allan Igambi said that the bill will help eliminate street hawkers in Nairobi’s CBD.
Bill in the county assembly
Igambi called on the MCAs to speed up in passing the Bill which he says will assist in dealing with the hawkers’ menace in the CBD.
If the Bill is passed, both the hawkers and the buyers will be fined Ksh2,000 on the spot.
“I urge the MCA s to pass this Bill, this will not be a way to collect money but a deterrent to the menace,” the Trade CEC stated.
According to Igambi, the bill will also aid in maintaining food hygiene since most hawkers sell food items on streets and pavements which are dirty hence compromising the health of Nairobians.
Nairobians health at risk
He also noted that the street vendors sell food items without the required licenses to handle food from the public health and so forth.
Igambi argued that the bill will ensure fair competition because hawkers have invaded streets obstructing access to shops and supermarkets that have paid the necessary licenses for the business premises.
“Some even have stalls but leave them to come and hawk in front of other business premises, this is what we want to deal with,” CEC Igambi remarked.
The County Government is currently renovating the city’s markets in order to expand its capacity, and accommodate more hawkers.