Kisumu bans street hawking amid foreign trader debate

The county government says the move is intended to bring order to street trading while giving hawkers a more secure environment from which to operate.

Under the 2026 Trade Policy, traders currently selling goods along the streets will be relocated to designated spaces in modern markets.

Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o said the new arrangement is aimed at ensuring small traders have better access to customers while operating in safer and more organised spaces.

“This is an actionable blueprint designed to empower our informal traders, scale up our SMEs and modernise our local economy from the ground upwards,” said Nyong’o.

"It would create a fair modern market, strengthen cooperatives and improve opportunities for women and youths by promoting local enterprises, encourage consumption of locally produced goods and services so that they can be able to be consumed within the county, other counties and regionally,” added IYBA Project Manager Nduta Ndirangu.

For hawkers who rely on moving from one street to another to find customers, the county says relocating them to designated markets could provide a more stable base for their businesses.

The implementation will involve the allocation of trading spaces as the county seeks to reorganise small-scale commerce in Kisumu.