NAIROBI, Kenya — Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has ruled out a blanket ban on street hawking in the capital, saying the informal trade remains an important source of income for thousands of residents.
Speaking during an interview with Radio Citizen on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, Sakaja said the county government would instead regulate street trading by controlling where and when hawkers operate.
“Hawking and street business is something that will never end because they are also in need of earning a living. It just has to be managed,” Sakaja said.
The governor’s remarks signal a departure from proposals previously advanced by the county government to remove hawkers from parts of Nairobi, particularly the city centre.
Sakaja seeks balance between hawkers and traders
Sakaja said the county’s approach would seek to balance the interests of street traders with those of formal businesses that pay rent, licences and other operating costs.
He cautioned hawkers against setting up directly outside established businesses selling similar products.
“You cannot go sell in front of someone’s shop when he pays rent and sells the same as you do. We have to find balance,” he said.
The governor indicated that street trading would therefore not be allowed indiscriminately across the city.
Instead, the county government is expected to designate specific areas where hawkers can conduct their businesses while imposing operating hours to regulate activity.
The approach would allow informal traders to continue earning a living while reducing disruption to formal businesses and pedestrian movement.
Nairobi abandons proposed hawking ban?
Sakaja’s latest position contrasts with a plan announced by the county government in May 2025 to completely ban hawkers from Nairobi’s Central Business District as part of efforts to improve cleanliness and order.
The proposed ban was among measures the county had considered to reorganise activities in the city centre.
The governor’s latest comments suggest the administration is now favouring regulation over an outright prohibition of street trading.
The change comes amid the long-running challenge of managing Nairobi’s large informal economy, where hawking provides an important source of income for many residents.
Hawkers to face new controls
While ruling out a blanket ban, Sakaja made clear that traders would still be required to follow county regulations.
The administration is expected to determine designated trading areas and specific hours during which hawkers can operate.
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The measures could also help address complaints from formal traders who argue that unregulated street businesses create unfair competition and obstruct access to established premises.
For hawkers, however, the governor’s position provides a reprieve from the prospect of being pushed entirely out of the city centre and other trading areas.
Sakaja said the county’s objective was to manage the competing interests rather than eliminate informal trade.
The governor’s announcement is likely to shape the next phase of Nairobi’s efforts to reorganise street commerce while addressing concerns over congestion, business competition and livelihoods.
