Locals reject Governor Mike Sonko's plan to move hawkers to Ziwani

Uproar as Nairobi Governor Sonko's move to relocate hawkers to Ziwani is met with hostility

NAIROBI, KENYA: Governor Mike Sonko's plan to move hawkers from the Central Business District to Mwariro Market in Kariokor has been met with hostility by locals.

Mwariro Market, which is in Ziwani Ward was the place that Sonko had earlier announced that hawkers would occupy before the end of November permanently. Sonko confirmed that plans were underway to transform the market to have the capacity to host most of the hawkers in an effort geared towards controlling the influx of small scale traders in the city centre.

Negative comments

This comes after public outcry over the recent flooding of the small-scale traders into the streets of Nairobi.

But instead, this move has received a lot of negative comments from the locals of Ziwani Ward, citing that the market was initially occupied by the Ziwani Ward locals before it was closed the year 2008.

“We are not opposed to development, we know that the governor is doing his job. All we want is for him to consider the hawkers who are selling their wares outside this land as they are the original occupants of this market,” said James Kamau, Chairman of Mwariro market.

The four acre land has since been turned to a car washing area where the street boys earn a living. This is a market that has always been used to house hawkers who have been driven out of the CBD.

According to Kamau when the CBD was invaded by hawkers during Moi’s era, Joseph Kaguthi, the former Provincial Commissioner was instructed to relocate the hawkers to Mwariro Market until 2008 when it was closed.

“In 2008, when Maina Kamanda was the Starehe MP, hawkers were driven out of the market in a bid to develop it, but up until now, nothing has been done, so it is I together with the youth who have been taking care of this place since then,” Kamau said.

More markets

He added that the Nairobi City Council and the World Bank had plans to build the market and it was meant to house up to 5,000 hawkers and small scale traders in Ziwani Ward.

“We are not impressed by the announcement that was made by the governor, where does he expect us, the residents of this area to go to? He should have considered that,” said Kamau.

He further stated that the issue of hawkers invading the CBD will not be easy to deal with unless markets are built in every ward for the hawkers. He said that the hawkers are employed by other people to sell for them and they come to the CBD because it has most offices, therefore a quick market for their wares.

In a confrontation between hawkers and Journalists last week on Wednesday, the hawkers said they do not want to leave the CBD. They laaccused journalists of exposing them making the county boss to kick them out of the CBD yet it has been the only place they have known to work in.

Kamau urged Sonko to visit Mwariro Market and listen to what they have to say.