The Nairobi County Government has ordered that tea and coffee hawkers will now be required to transition to the backstreets of the city.
According to the Nairobi County Chief Environment Officer, Geoffrey Mosiria, the tea hawkers will be required to join other hawkers in the backlanes.
In a notice on January 6, 2025, the county government had warned that legal action would be taken against any hawkers found contravening such an order.
Mosiria gives new orders to tea and coffee vendors in Nairobi CBD. Photo: Courtesy.
This means that no tea vendor will be allowed to hawk in the City’s main streets, such as Moi Avenue, Haile Selassie Avenue, Kenneth Matiba Road, Latema Road, Ronald Ngala Street, Mfangano Street, Hakati Road, and River Road.
Mosiria went on to disclose that his department has kick-started a crackdown on tea and coffee hawkers who are using disposable cups and single-use plastic bags to sell their products.
He moreover noted that action will be taken against such hawkers, the county will also track down and take legal action against individuals who supply the plastic cups and bags to hawkers.
According to Mosiria, the plastic bags, which he claims are being dumped across the city anyhow, not only create an unsightly environment but also end up blocking the drainage system and eventually lead to flooding during rainy seasons.
This comes days after the county government shut down some food vending kiosks in Gikomba Market over unsanitary food handling practices.
