The Kisumu City County Government has moved to end roadside hawking by requiring small-scale traders to operate from designated spaces within modern markets.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o announced the measure under the 2026 Kisumu County Trade and Markets Policy, which seeks to reorganise informal trading and create a more structured business environment.

Under the new approach, vendors will be assigned specific areas where they can sell their goods instead of operating along roads and other informal points.

Nyong’o said the policy is intended to give small businesses a better chance of attracting customers and improving their earnings.

📌 What You Need to Know

“These policies are not mere documents meant to collect dust on shelves. They represent a bold, actionable blueprint designed to empower our informal traders, scale up our micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and modernise our local economy from the ground up,” he said.

Some traders welcomed the proposed changes, arguing that roadside hawking has made it harder for businesses operating from established markets to attract customers.

Businesswoman Sarah Adero said vendors operating in markets could benefit if customers are encouraged to visit designated trading areas instead of buying from hawkers along the streets.

“The policies will help us because when hawkers sell everywhere, customers don’t even get to the market to buy our goods. With the changes, we expect more customers to visit the market and buy from us,” she said.

Daniel Akwata, a Kisumu-based businessperson, said many local businesses struggle to grow because of intense competition and the dominance of established enterprises, adding that without adequate support, emerging entrepreneurs risk reaching a dead end.

IYBA-SEED Project Manager Nduta Ndirangu said the reforms would help create a better-managed market while opening up more opportunities for traders.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke