The Nairobi County Government has announced that tea and coffee hawkers will, from now henceforth, be required to transition to the backstreets of the city.
In a statement on Wednesday, June 18, the Nairobi County Chief Environment Officer, Geoffrey Mosiria, said that the tea hawkers will be required to join other hawkers in the backlanes. In a notice on January 6, 2025, the county government had warned that legal action would be taken against any hawkers found contravening such an order.
The directive means that no tea vendor will be allowed to hawk in the City's main streets, such as Moi Avenue, Haile Selassie Avenue, Kenneth Matiba Road, Latema Road, Ronald Ngala Street, Mfangano Street, Hakati Road, and River Road.
"We have launched an operation targeting these hawkers, who will now be required to operate like any other hawkers, strictly within designated areas (back lanes)," Mosiria said.
Furthermore, Mosiria said that his department has kick-started a crackdown on tea and coffee hawkers who are using disposable cups and single-use plastic bags to sell their products.
Mosiria said that in addition to taking action against such hawkers, the county will also track down and take legal action against individuals who supply the plastic cups and bags to hawkers.
According to Mosiria, the plastic bags, which he claims are being dumped across the city anyhow, not only create an unsightly environment but also end up blocking the drainage system and eventually lead to flooding during rainy seasons.
"We have noted with great concern the rapid increase of tea and coffee hawkers in the CBD who are using disposable cups and single-use plastic bags. Most of them do not carry litter bins to manage waste after their customers consume their products," Mosiria said.
"As a result, this waste is being dumped all over the CBD and eventually ends up in our drainage systems during rains, contributing to flooding in the city," he added.
The announcement comes a week after the county government shut down some food vending kiosks in Gikomba Market over unsanitary food handling practices.
Mosiria, who led the operation, stressed that the county government will close more kiosks in the city if vendors still lag in improving hygiene standards.
"We found traders selling fish in extremely unhygienic environments, some even preparing food near areas used as open urinals. This is completely unacceptable, and we will take firm action against those endangering public health," Mosiria stated.
