Hundreds of businesses in Eastleigh malls are on the verge of collapse if the county government fails to control hawkers who have taken over the streets by storm, business owners have said.
The situation, the owners said on Sunday, has been exacerbated by the recent relocation of hawkers from Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) to the back streets.
The investors are now pleading with the Nairobi City Governor Johnson Sakaja to intervene and rescue their business from collapsing.
While addressing the media, Eastleigh Business Community Organising Secretary Omar Yusuf said over 20 malls housing 5,200 shops are now struggling to pay their taxes since the number of sales has drastically gone down.
Mr Yusuf said that the illegal business of hawkers, illegal emerging structures and uncontrolled taxis and boda boda have rendered business owners operating in malls jobless.
“...They block entrances and footpaths of malls leading to customers avoiding the street entirely and looking for alternatives,” Mr Yusuf said.
Eastleigh Business District Association Organising Secretary Omar Yussuf addressing journalists on February 16, 2025.
Photo credit: Evans Habil| Nation Media Group
He stated that it is now becoming hectic for business people to access their shops and almost impossible for customers to visit their shops.
This is despite the fact that the shops inside the malls are licensed and pay all taxes as required.
According to the association, their concerns have been ignored for the past three years and they have urged the governor to come to their rescue, failing which they will consider going to court.
“We need an emergency overhaul along Kipande Athumani road, otherwise we are going to court. These 25 malls which have got 5,200 shops are going to court very soon to get our rights.”
They have asked Mr Sakaja to apply the same method that he used to clear hawkers from walkways in CBD and allow shop owners to resume their businesses and be able to settle their bills without much struggle.
“All these malls are legally registered, doing businesses and all these shop owners are buying the goods from Dubai, China, Turkey and bring them into the country through the ports and airports but we are affected by hawkers who sell items at cheaper prices.”
If the situation is not controlled, the association is afraid that employees who have been employed to work in the affected malls will lose their jobs.
“A buyer here is selling an item at Sh3, 000 or Sh4, 000 and somebody is selling at his doorstep at Sh1, 000. Nobody will come at the shop and the businesses are almost collapsing,” Mr Yusuf said.
Mohamed Yussuf Abdi, a member of the association, said they had raised the matter with local leaders for years, but their request appeared to have fallen on deaf ears.
“We have been raising complaints for the last three years and the number of hawkers keep increasing without any feedback. Our clients in these malls are complaining. Hawkers have blocked the malls and streets,” Mr Abdi said.
People going on with their businesses in Eastleigh, Nairobi on February 16, 2025. Eastleigh Mall owners are complaining of an increase of hawkers and boda boda operators outside their buildings thus obstructing access to their businesses.
Photo credit: Evans Habil| Nation Media Group
According to Nairobi County Chief Officer in charge of Urban Planning Patrick Analo, the recent operation to clear hawkers from the CBD has seen the number of hawkers declining.
Mr Analo claimed that there are illegal hawkers in Nairobi, who are residing from the neighbouring counties, hawking in the streets of Nairobi while evading taxes.
“Our recent observation indicates that the number of registered hawkers is around 2,500 from the initial 7,500. Where have they gone? We will not relent on clearing CBD,” Mr Analo said in recent address.
