Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai on Tuesday, September 9, proposed radical reforms within the Nairobi CBD, including a requirement for hawkers to wear uniforms in the city centre.
Alai, who has been at the forefront of calling for accountability in the Nairobi County government, was critical of the Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja's press conference on Monday where Sakaja addressed the state of security in the CBD.
While Sakaja announced a raft of measures from his county government during Monday’s press conference, Alai, seemingly unconvinced, slammed the county boss for what he described as minimal action from his administration.
"We need fewer press conferences and more action," Alai said. "There is a serious, urgent need to rein in the insecurity in the city."
According to the vocal County Assembly member, hawkers needed to be in uniform in the CBD, while the number of Public Service Vehicles (PSV) in the city centre need to be limited at any given time to restore order.
Further, Alai also called on the city county government to collaborate with "the national security architecture."
The presence of hawkers within Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD) has remained a longstanding and contentious issue, with Governor Sakaja’s administration often grappling to strike a delicate balance between accommodating the needs of informal traders and upholding the broader interests of the county.
In January, hawkers were warned against engaging in business along main streets and roads, which the county government insists are meant for pedestrians and not for trading.
At the time, Sakaja specifically listed Moi Avenue, Haile Selassie Avenue, Kenneth Matiba Road, Latema Road, Ronald Ngala Street, Mfangano Street, Hakati Road, and River Road as areas that are off-limits to hawkers in a move which was heavily resisted by traders.
Uniforms for Hawkers
Several countries have adopted Alai's proposal to uniform hawkers with impressive results. For example, in India, the Street Vendors Act of 2014 requires municipal corporations to issue uniforms or ID cards to registered vendors.
Cities like Mumbai and Delhi have pilot programs where hawkers wear aprons, jackets, or vests identifying them as licensed vendors.
While uniforms does not directly mitigate security issues within the CBD, it can potentially make it harder for criminal elements to blend in with traders. Effectively, unregistered individuals operating illegally or using hawking as a cover for petty crime can be more easily detected.
Alai's warning to Sakaja came barely a week after the county boss survived an impeachment attempt, albeit for 60 days.
The Kileleshwa MCA has been a fierce critic of the Sakaja administration. He has been at the forefront of highlighting basic services such as garbage collection, which he claims have collapsed, and criticising the governor for failing to fulfil his responsibilities regarding critical infrastructure.
On Tuesday, September 2, MCAs announced that they had agreed to put the impeachment bid on hold for two month, giving Governor Sakaja time to adjust his leadership approach and mend ties with the Assembly.
