Night demolitions leave Nairobi shoe shiners counting losses
By Maureen Kinyanjui |
The association insists the demolitions were unwarranted, claiming they had adhered to all legal requirements.
A number of shoe shiners in Nairobi were left devastated on Wednesday after their business structures were demolished overnight by the Nairobi County Government.
The demolitions which took place on Tuesday night, led by Acting County Secretary Godfrey Akumali and Chief of Staff David Njoroge, targeted structures deemed illegal along pedestrian walkways.
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"We have not evicted anyone. We have demolished illegal structures that have been obstructing the movement of people," said Njoroge.
The exercise took place at night with structures along various streets such as Tom Mboya Street, and Moi Avenue demolished.
However, the CBD Shoe Shining Association has condemned the move, revealing that nearly 1,500 shoe shiners were affected, with losses estimated at Sh15 million.
The association insists the demolitions were unwarranted, claiming they had adhered to all legal requirements.
"We confirm the legality to operate in all our designated areas within the CBD since we have plot numbers indicated in the licenses issued by the Nairobi City County," read a statement from the association.
The group further highlighted that many of the affected businesses have been operational for over 14 years and have consistently followed county bylaws.
Several shoe shinning stands demolished in Nairobi CBD on December 17, 2024. (Nairobi City County Government)
The association has requested a meeting with Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja to seek a resolution to the matter.
This development comes less than a month after Governor Sakaja warned that hawkers and vendors would no longer be allowed to operate on the city's newly refurbished walkways.
The walkways, part of a larger infrastructure upgrade funded by Sh8.7 billion from the US Millennium Challenge Corporation, are intended to improve pedestrian access, cycle paths, and transport connectivity in the city.
"The new walkways are for pedestrians and not hawking. We will enforce this strictly," Sakaja said during an inspection of the ongoing improvement works.
In response to mounting pressure from unregulated street vendors, Nairobi MCAs recently passed a motion directing the county government to relocate street traders to designated backstreets and regulated pop-up markets.
The motion, spearheaded by Umoja 1 MCA Mark Mugambi, aims to ease congestion and improve city mobility while providing safer trading spaces.
"As a capital city, we have failed to ensure vendors are regulated for too long. We want to create a structured environment where vendors can operate without hindering mobility," he said while moving the motion.
Several shoe shinning stands demolished in Nairobi CBD on December 17, 2024. (Nairobi City County Government)
The Nairobi City County Pop-Up Markets and Street Vending Act of 2019, which requires all street vendors to secure licenses and be registered in a central database, remains partially implemented.
The motion calls for its full execution, with provisions for enhanced security and streamlined licensing to curb the exploitation of traders by enforcement officers.
For now, the affected shoe shiners hope for dialogue and a solution that will allow them to resume their trade without further disruption.
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