Hawker ban: Before and after shots of Nairobi CBD
City residents make their way through Tom Mboya Street as hawkers sell their wares along footpaths on February 25, 2023.
Photos | Francis Nderitu
Before the recent crackdown on hawkers, Nairobi city streets were often a maze of crowded sidewalks and busy roads.
Pedestrian walkways, especially in areas like Tom Mboya Street and River Road, were taken over by hawkers selling everything from clothes to electronics.
This not only made it difficult for pedestrians to move freely, but also disrupted the flow of traffic as vendors spilled onto the streets, adding to the city's notorious congestion.
However, from January 2025, the Nairobi City County Government (NCCG) has enforced a new order, removing vendors from the Central Business District (CBD) to restore order and improve pedestrian space.
The changes are already visible. Areas such as the Kenya National Archives, once clogged with tents and makeshift stalls, are now open, welcoming spaces for city dwellers to walk and enjoy.
The improvement has been particularly noticeable along Tom Mboya Street, where pedestrians can now move about unhindered by street vendors.
However, the move has been met with mixed reactions, with some vendors expressing dissatisfaction at the disruption to their livelihoods.
Hawkers display their wares for sale right along River Road on February 25, 2023.
Hawkers display their wares outside Savanis Bookshop on the corner of Lagos and Latema Road on February 25, 2023.
A hawker arranges his wares for sale placed along Sotik Lane along River Road marked by the Nairobi County officials as a designated hawker’s area on February 25, 2023.
Hawkers display their wares for sale on the footpath outside business premises along River Road on February 25, 2023.
City residents walk past tents put up along the public open space at Kenya National Archives along Tom Mboya Street on June 10, 2023, selling various items. The open space is meant for city residents to walk freely and rest up but a number of traders encroach on the space during weekends to sell various items thus inconveniencing pedestrians.
A number of tents belonging to traders selling various items were erected along the public open space at the Kenya National Archives along Tom Mboya Street on June 10, 2023.
A number of tents belonging to traders selling various items were erected along the public open space at the Kenya National Archives along Tom Mboya Street on June 10, 2023.
City residents walk freely as they cross the junction of Latema Road and Lagos Road on January 15, 2025.
City residents walk freely along the public open space outside the Kenya National Archives along Tom Mboya Street on January 15, 2025.
City residents walk freely along the public open space outside the Kenya National Archives along Tom Mboya Street on January 15, 2025.
City residents walk freely along the public open space outside the Kenya National Archives along Tom Mboya Street on January 15, 2025.
City residents walk freely on a sidewalk along Tom Mboya Street on January 15, 2025.
A lane between the Nation Centre and Victor House along Kimathi Street has been designated as a hawker's area on February 25, 2023.
City residents walk freely in the public space in front of the Kenya National Archives along Tom Mboya Street on January 15, 2025.
