Hawkers selling fruits behind the road in Nairobi. Photo/courtesy.
After kicking out hawkers out of the Central Business District (CBD) , Nairobi County governor Johnson Sakaja has vowed to make Nairobi the cleanest city in Africa. Sakaja said he is not fighting hawkers or against hawking, instead he is moving them to backstreets in order to decongest the sidewalks and reduce distraction that comes with hawking.
READ: Why Nairobi County Banned Hawking in CBD
The city governor said is optimistic that injections of money into the city clean-up exercise will bear fruits in the long run. His sentiments came after President William Ruto allocated Sh4 billion to help repair and maintain city roads. He urged Nairobi residents to be patient with him.
“We have welcomed the president’s move to inject Sh4 billion into our road project. This collaboration will help us make all roads accessible. Give us time and we will deliver,” Sakaja said.
The timing of the ban on hawking in mainstreets coincides with the formation of the Green Army which is a team of 3,500 young men and women that will be ensuring cleanliness in the city.
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Sakaja further said that the year 2025 started on a high note to ensure order is restored in Nairobi.
“We have started the year on an optimize note. We are not fighting hawkers, we are moving them to the backstreets so that Nairobi can be an orderly city,” he said. “Nairobi will be the cleanest city in Africa.”
