County government Inspectorate officers and Kenha have been faulted for harassing street vendors.
Speaking during a public participation forum for the Street Vendors Bill, 2019, the vendors told senators that continuous harassment by the askaris has disrupted their work.
Elias Mwangi, a street vendor along CBD’s Accra Road said that city askaris ask for bribes and when they resist they are arrested. “When we are arrested we are taken to City Hall and we pay fines but our items are never returned to us,”Mwangi said.
The vendors further condemned the county government for failing to recognise and acknowledge trading badges owned by vendors in different places.
According to the vendors, despite producing the badges to county government officers they are still arrested and fined.
The Trade and Tourism Committee led by its chairman Charles Kibiro further heard that Kenha have been oppressing the street vendors at Githurai every month of July.
Githurai Market chairman Edwin Kairo said that Kenha has disrupted the peace of traders.
“After elections and once the government allocates money to Kenha, the officers come on ground and chase vendors away even despite us being allowed to trade bu the county government,”he said.
The chairman further said that activities in the market stabilised a bit after the traders took aired their complains to the media which highlighted their plights.
The bill which is sponsored by Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iría seeks to establish a framework to regulate street vending business.
It also promotes to protect the rights of the Street vendors. If passed, the county governments will be compelled to provide and allocate trading zones to the vendors.Also the county will provide adequate facilities such as public latrines.
“The bill takes care of issues that are generally affecting our hawkers.The traders are our own and should be treated equally as the rest of business
