Kakamega traders welcome proposed street vendors law

Kakamega residents attending a public participation session on the proposed Street Vendors Bill 2023 at Magharibi hall in Kakamega on Tuesday /HILTON OTENYO

Kakamega traders have welcomed the proposed Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood) Bill, 2023, saying it will save them from harassment by county governments if passed.

The traders said the Bill, which seeks to provide a legal framework for the recognition, protection and regulation of street vending, is long overdue.

They spoke before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives at Magharibi Hall.

Traders said the law will hold county governments accountable for their actions, including failure to provide the necessary infrastructure to support their businesses despite collecting revenue from them.

“For the first time, we are seeing a Bill that will create a Street Vending Unit through national guidelines,” said village elder Margaret Savai.

“This will compel county governments to provide us with designated vending areas, shades, water, security, access roads and other social amenities.”

Savai said the county government continues to collect revenue from traders operating by the roadsides without providing space for their businesses.

“We used to operate from a privately owned plot, but the owner has since fenced it off and pushed us almost into the road. The county still forces us to pay fees,” she said.

Kennedy Toboko said the Bill only provides penalties against street vendors but is silent on sanctions for county governments that fail to provide proper vending spaces and security.

Dickson Akweyu said the Bill needs fine-tuning to prevent conflict between street vendors and established businesses.

The Bill seeks to compel county governments to provide a conducive environment for street vendors by ensuring security and amenities such as water, ablution facilities and lighting, allowing them to operate with dignity.

It gives powers to respective county executives to set aside specific days and places for periodic vending after conducting a survey of all existing street vendors and potential vending zones within their jurisdictions.

The Bill also provides for the formation of a Street Vending Committee to address vendors’ concerns and compel county governments to designate operational areas.

It proposes three zones for vendors to reduce conflict with established businesses.

These include non-restricted areas, where vendors and businesses may sell similar goods; restricted areas, where both may operate on the same street but sell different items; and no-vending areas, where street vending is strictly prohibited.