The Nairobi County Government has issued a stern warning to city residents, cautioning that anyone found purchasing goods from hawkers operating in undesignated areas will face arrest.
Geoffrey Mosiria, Nairobi’s Chief Officer for Environment, said the county is intensifying enforcement operations to curb illegal street vending, which continues to obstruct pedestrian walkways and cause congestion in the central business district.
“We are stepping up enforcement efforts to ensure compliance. Going forward, enforcement will not only target hawkers operating in undesignated areas but also individuals buying from them, as they are aiding and abetting this illegality,” Mosiria said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The crackdown comes months after Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja issued a directive in January 2025 restricting hawkers to operate only within designated backstreets, from Tom Mboya Street to Kirinyaga Road, between 4:00 pm and 10:00 pm, Monday through Saturday. The directive, supported by a motion passed by Nairobi MCAs, sought to restore order and ease congestion on the city’s busiest roads.
Under the order, hawking is prohibited on major streets including Moi Avenue, Haile Selassie Avenue, Kenneth Matiba Road, Latema Road, Ronald Ngala Street, Mfangano Street, Hakati Road, and River Road.
Despite these measures, many hawkers continue to operate illegally on main thoroughfares, prompting the county to broaden enforcement to include their customers.
The public is now urged to purchase only from vendors within authorized zones or risk facing legal consequences as the county moves to restore order in Nairobi’s streets.
Written By Rodney Mbua
