Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on Wednesday, February 8, expressed his admiration for an architectural design seeking to reorganise pathways in Nairobi to accommodate space for hawkers.
Wixx Mangutha, a University of Nairobi accounting graduate, posted a video of what she proposed would be an efficient design of pedestrian walks along Thika Road and other major highways.
In the video seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the brainy holder of two degrees used the Thika Superhighway service lane at Kasarani to demonstrate how the introduction of foldable stalls would help serve hawkers while allowing easy mobility of traffic at the same time.
The stalls, according to the design, would be folded when not in use, and later opened to provide a more tranquil environment for the vendors to sell their wares.
She emphasised the need to offer a lasting solution to the hawking menace that has been a point of focus in successive regimes at the helm of Nairobi City.
Her design advanced that uniformity and proper planning would avoid the situation where hawkers invade crucial pathways and block passage for both human and motorised traffic. In addition, the concept provides a better aesthetic appearance for the streets despite the presence of stalls used by vendors.
Governor Sakaja, in response to the presentation, affirmed that the plan was what Nairobi needed as part of his agenda of restoring order while accommodating all businesses.
He expressed his admiration of the plan albeit without much disclosure of what his next move regarding the model would be.
"How did you know? That is the plan," Sakaja responded.
Kenyans who saw the presentation also expressed love for the plan with a considerable number urging Sakaja to implement it.
"Open market stalls are reasonable; however, their daily setup & removal pose challenges like traffic congestion, insecurity and littering. Container stalls can provide a more permanent & organised solution, but it's critical to enforce standards for uniformity and aesthetics," a user commented.
Mangutha is an award-winning animator known for her creative designs and ability to represent concepts through animations. She won the Best Animator of the Year in the Women in the Film Award in 2021.
Her presence in the creative industry has been worth noting, despite having had a minimal background and interest in the information and technology field during her childhood days.
