- The governor, who is marking a year since taking over office, says he has managed to stabilise the capital city.
- As part of his ambitious plan to settle hawkers, Sakaja is building sheds for them in select streets.
Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja has insisted that he will continue to support small traders plying their trade within the Central Business District.
In a wide-ranging interview with the Star on Friday, Sakaja revealed that his administration has set aside Sh100 million to facilitate the construction of shelters for hawkers at designated streets within the CBD.
Over the last one year, Sakaja's administration has also constructed over 100 modern kiosks across 17 sub-counties to give traders dignified spaces for their businesses to thrive.
On Friday Sakaja told the Star that his administration respects hustlers' businesses in the city and will strive to create an enabling environment for their trade to thrive.
“A budget was read at the Country Assembly yesterday. In the budget, I have set aside Sh 100 million for the construction of a shelter for our hawkers in town who sell in corridors. It is not good for our people to be selling from the corridors yet they sell items like those who own stalls in the city,” said Sakaja.
Since Sakaja took over office last year, his government has mapped out 10 back streets for hawkers to trade in a more dignified manner with some already cleaned and occupied by traders.
To expand markets for traders, land has been identified in at least six sites on Karen, Mutuini, Maji Mazuri, Ruai, Tassia, and Jogoo roads.
Public participation forums have already been undertaken with Sakaja vowing to end the culture of land grabbing.
''I want to assure you that no inch of this market will be grabbed by anybody. Land grabbing ended in Nairobi and there is no time it will happen when I am still the governor. I have title deeds of these markets and I know their sizes,” Sakaja said.
Sakaja said that his government has sensitised and registered youths, women, and small and micro traders into saccos leading to over 100 Sacco’s registered across the county.
Some seven Saccos are exclusively for hawkers in CBD while five cover those in county markets.
Highliting his achievements over the last one year, Sakaja said that his administration has operationalised and branded five markets outside the city centre.
They include those in Quarry Road, Kangundo Road, Mwariro, Karandini and City Park.
''This is in line with my manifesto to increase trading spaces in the County. The markets were built by the National Government but were not operational,'' he said.
At the same time, the county has approved a zoning policy for the city in an effort to have enterprises comply with the reduction of noise pollution.
This followed a mapping exercise that first established the number of alcoholic outlets operating in the county.
Following the radical shift in policy, the county has been able to increase revenue generation capacity, ensuring compliance with public health and environmental laws, and stopping the sale of illicit and counterfeit liquor.
''We had to amend the Alcoholic Drinks and Control Act of 2014 to ensure we align operation to the new zoning policy so as to increase the number of establishments aligned to the law,'' Sakaja said.
During the period, Sakaja said he was able to establish the first county-operated rehab Centre at Sinai, Viwandani ward, which has cushioned the youth affected by substance abuse.