Eastleigh hawkers suffer losses as heavy rains halt trade for third straight day
The rains, which often begin around the time hawkers are allowed to operate, sometimes last well into the night.
Hawkers in Eastleigh are facing losses after heavy rains disrupted their operations for the third consecutive day.
In the busy Nairobi estate, most street vendors are allowed to set up their stalls and begin selling from 5 pm due to the area's regulations that restrict them from occupying the streets during the day.
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However, consistent evening rainfall over the past three days has brought their businesses to a halt.
The rains, which often begin around the time hawkers are allowed to operate, sometimes last well into the night. This has forced many vendors to seek shelter as soon as the downpour begins, often rushing to cover their merchandise and protect it from damage caused by rain and flooding.
On Monday night, the rainfall was especially intense, resulting in widespread flooding across major streets in Eastleigh.
The water made it difficult for hawkers to remain on the streets and also reduced the number of shoppers, as most people stayed indoors to avoid the bad weather.
When flooding becomes severe, even formal businesses with established shops are affected, with some forced to shut their doors early. The once busy and crowded streets of Eastleigh, usually full of traders and customers, turn empty as people clear out, leaving only a few covered stalls visible under makeshift shelters.
Maimuna Abdirahman, a hawker who sells dirac and women’s clothing on 9th Street along Mohamed Yusuf Haji Avenue, said she has not made any sales for two days. She explained that the rains on Monday and Tuesday completely disrupted her operations.
On Tuesday, the rain started as early as 3 pm and continued into the night.
“It has not been easy, but you can’t complain about rain since they are Allah’s sent. Hopefully, it will stop,” Maimuna said.
She added that many hawkers wish they were allowed to operate during earlier hours, especially in the mid-morning period when it rarely rains. That, she believes, would allow them to earn some income even during the rainy season.
Ali Abdullahi, another hawker, also shared his frustrations, saying that on Monday, some of his clothes were damaged after a sack containing clothes fell into the floodwaters and was carried several meters away by the current.
Though he was able to retrieve it, the clothes were already soaked and dirty, making them hard to sell.
“It is the will of Allah. We just hope that one day we can get a better place to carry out our business. I cannot afford to rent a shop, that’s why I am suffering here,” Ali said.
Vendors who sell food on the streets have also been affected. Those offering boiled eggs, roasted maize, samosas, and other snacks have had to pack up early and return home with little or no sales.
In recent months, young women selling Somali snacks such as mashmash and samosas have become a common sight in Eastleigh, but the rains have made it difficult for them to continue.
On normal days, many hawkers work late into the night, with some remaining on the streets until midnight. However, the current weather conditions have made this impossible.
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