Nairobi belongs to everyone; the low and mighty

Nairobi county government askaris arrest a hawker who was selling his goods to Christmas day shoppers along Muindi Mbingu street on Saturday,Decemebr 24,2022. [File, Standard]

Every morning, millions of Nairobians take to the streets to make a living, only to be chased, humiliated, or evicted by the very city that should protect them.

From hawkers in Gikomba and Marikiti to matatu and boda boda operators, millions depend on the informal economy. Yet city authorities often treat them as intruders. Traders face harassment, entire SACCO licences get revoked because of mistakes of a single vehicle, and slum residents live under constant threat of eviction.

These are not isolated incidents. They reflect a long-standing pattern of exclusion that urban political economy theory explains. Informal workers provide essential services in a city built for profit, yet they are criminalised because their presence challenges formal economic and spatial hierarchies.

Gikomba Market is an example. Maina Wanjigi, the late Kamukunji MP who helped build the market, recalls how traders were constantly harassed by city officials and police before they could establish themselves. At Wakulima Market, eviction notices often spark protests and traffic chaos, until the High Court steps in to temporarily block the county from relocating traders.

Transport SACCOs face similar unfair treatment. Yet in other professions, such as law or medicine, the misconduct of one practitioner does not strip all colleagues of their licences. City authorities claim these measures are meant to restore order, but hawkers selling merchandise along major streets remain a common sight. The county made a similar attempt in 2023, trying to push hawkers into backstreets and register them.

Authorities often justify their actions by accusing hawkers, boda boda riders, and drivers of causing chaos, disorder, and even criminal activity. Entire communities and livelihoods are penalised for perceived risks, while the city struggles to provide viable alternatives.

This reasoning echoes a long pattern of blaming informal workers for urban congestion, rather than addressing systemic issues like inadequate infrastructure, insufficient market spaces, and limited enforcement of traffic rules.

The numbers are staggering. In 2023, 16.7 million Kenyans, over 83 percent of the workforce, are employed in the informal sector. Informal work generates roughly 85 percent of all new jobs, making it the backbone of Kenya’s economy. Restricting informal trade, transport, or housing does not affect a marginal fringe. It impacts millions of livelihoods.

City authorities have a duty of care to residents, but too often this is ignored. Some officials publicly humiliate traders, chase them from the streets, or post videos online. Such actions violate the principle of “do no harm,” exposing already vulnerable workers to humiliation and mockery.

Enforcement should protect the public without punishing the vulnerable. This is fundamentally a question of the Right to the City, a concept developed by Henri Lefebvre.

All urban residents, not just the wealthy or formally employed, should have access to, participate in, and shape the spaces they inhabit.

Policies that punish entire SACCOs for one accident, evict slum communities, or target informal traders without alternatives are a violation of this right. They reveal how cities often prioritize profit, regulation, and aesthetics over the social and economic lives of their residents.

Informal traders, SACCO operators, and slum residents are not nuisances or clutter. They are the lifeblood of Nairobi’s economy, providing services, generating employment, and supporting families. Their work often subsidises the broader system, filling gaps left by formal institutions.

 Yet instead of support, they face public shaming, blanket penalties, and harassment. As we look toward 2027, my hope is simple but profound.

Every Kenyan, whether a hawker in Gikomba, a boda boda rider on the streets, or a resident of slums, should fully enjoy their Right to the City. A city where livelihoods are protected, voices are heard, and no one is subjected to humiliation or displacement.