– Hawkers lobby views –
In a bid to demand for their recognition by the authorities as traders, hawkers have pooled under the City Street Vendors Association.
The Association’s Secretary Winnie Nduku says they formed the lobby to amplify the plight of hawkers in Nairobi, who are largely seen as a problem.
“The organisation was formed to enable hawkers to come together with a main goal of understanding their challenges, to voice their challenges and to feel a sense of importance within the community,” she said.
The organisation also documents cases of brutality and petty offences levelled against their members, who in most cases have resorted to paying bribes to secure their freedom.
“We have not yet exposed most of the brutality since of our meagre resources but the situation is bad,” she said.
According to Nduku, many hawkers are spending months in jail after they fail to raise the required amount.
“Hawkers are mentally tortured and gladly accept all charges levelled against them. Denying means you are subjected to another exhausting court process and these people (county officials) don’t attend the court sessions. You will end up wasting a lot of time,” she said.
In case one admits of being guilty of dumping, the maximum fine is two years behind the bars or a fine of Sh1 million.
“Our laws are still colonial in nature…the petty offenders are heavily fined while the ‘big’ thieves are protected from even being investigated. Is it a crime if one is poor?” a visibly gloomy Nduku, rhetorically asked.
In the month of October alone, the organisation registered about 20 cases where hawkers were forced to spend two weeks in jail while some are serving a two-month sentence.
“Most are arrested for selling in undesignated places but the charges are increased to punish you for failing to bribe them,” she claimed. “Others are taken to court as a formality…since someone has to appear before the court after all.”
They even fear to speak out since they are intimidated.
“It is important for both the National and County governments to reckon with this and address the problem. We are not blind; we see what happens, our opportunity being given to other people which is pretty unfair. Our issues need to be addressed once and for all.”
About The Author
