8 Roads In Nairobi CBD Where Sakaja Has Banned Hawking
To start with, the county government imposed a ban on hawking along walkways within the CBD.
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
The Nairobi County government on Thursday, January 9 issued a notice to hawkers regarding the sale of their merchandise in the Central Business District with tough directives aimed at restoring order in the capital city.
In the public notice dated January 6, 2025, Acting County Secretary and Head of County Public Service Godfrey Akumali outlined new guidelines to ensure order and pedestrian safety within the Central Business District (CBD).
To start with, the county government imposed a ban on hawking along walkways within the CBD.
Furthermore, hawking will now only be permitted on designated backstreets and lanes from Monday to Saturday between 4:00 PM and 10:00 PM.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja chairing the Nairobi County Executive Committee (County Cabinet) on May 7, 2024. /JOHNSON SAKAJA
The new directive means that hawkers will be discouraged from engaging in business along main streets and roads, which the county government insists are meant for pedestrians and not for trading.
"Nairobi City County government hereby gives notice to all hawkers in the central business district that hawking of merchandise will only be allowed on backstreets and lanes; Monday to Saturday from 4 pm to 10 p.m. The designated backstreets are within the zone from Tom Mboya Street to Kirinyaga Road," the notice read in part.
The county administration under Governor Johnson Sakaja listed the main roads and streets such as Moi Avenue, Haile Selassie Avenue, Kenneth Matiba Road, Latema Road, Ronald Ngala Street, Mfangano Street, Hakati Road and River Road.
"The general public is asked to take note that anyone contravening this notice will be prosecuted under Nairobi City County Government law," the notice read.
This notice is Governor Sakaja's latest move in mitigating congestion within the Nairobi CBD. Previous efforts to relocate traders from the CBD to the Kangundo Road market sparked outrage and public protests.
Sakaja has been keen on restricting walkways in the city to pedestrians, having overseen their construction just for that purpose and that hawkers have no right to take over the walkways at their pleasure to sell their wares.
During an inspection visit to the CBD, Sakaja on September 4, 2024 announced that his administration would take action against those found culpable of hawking on the refurbished walkways and cycle lanes.
“I inspected ongoing works around the CBD while interacting with Kenyans who provided a lot of wonderful feedback on the walkway improvement that's ongoing on key roads,” the governor noted, adding “The new walkways are for pedestrians and not hawking. We will enforce this strictly."
The governor was responding to concerns raised by a section of Nairobi residents regarding the limited walking space due to increased hawking activity within the city.
In April 2024, the Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) embarked on the construction of new passenger walkways and cycle lanes in a move that was aimed at decongesting the city.
The construction works began after the Nairobi County Government secured Ksh8.7 billion in funding from the United States government.
