NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 18 -The Micro and Small Enterprise Authority (MSEA) has decried the increased influx of foreign hawkers at Kenya’s borders listing it as one of the challenges facing the sector which it says has been neglected by the Government
MSEA Chairman James Mureu, while addressing journalists Wednesday, said the Isebania border between Kenya and Tanzania is one of the most affected regions adding that Chinese enterprises are also notorious for filling up Kenya’s hawking space.
“It is a shame that we can allow a space where an ordinary Kenyan removed from his usual working place is not able to earn a decent earning because of foreigners hawking around illegally,” he said.
While admitting that other foreigners may be permitted to operate within Kenyan borders, he urged the Uhuru Kenyatta-led government to also provide support for small enterprises to venture into other international markets.
“As we try to improve the quality of products here, we should have support from the government to look for other markets, we must be helped to market our products internationally,” he added.
As part of its concerns, the authority also noted that there is increased land grabbing of markets and other public spaces occupied by the small and micro-enterprises.
It said that it had identified 5,000 markets that had been grabbed.
The authority raised the concern of increased exploitation of Small Micro Enterprises ( SMEs) space by individuals and firms who obtain loans at cheap rates and re-issue them at higher rates noting that majority do not have the intention of creating impact among the businesses it purports to assist.
“We are sounding a warning to those people, If you do not cascade the loans at lower rates, we shall shame them, we have many SME institutions, but I don’t know how many people genuinely create impact, ” Mureu added.
The remarks were made after the authority held a national consultative meeting which brought together Juakali, market traders, hawkers, and Boda Boda associations.
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