This archive report was first published on 13 December 2019.
Published on December 13, 2019, a draft law before the Nairobi County Assembly proposes the introduction of pop-up markets for hawkers in designated areas in the capital at least twice a week.
The proposal, contained in the Nairobi City County Pop-Up Markets and Street Vendors Bill, 2019, aims to regulate trade zones and protect the livelihoods of itinerant traders.
Nominated MCA Mbugua Kabiru, the brain behind the Bill, explained that the regulation of pop-up markets will be vested on a Pop-Up Markets Department, which will be responsible for communicating specific operation times to traders to avoid confrontations with authorities.
"The Bill will allow for trade zones to be identified and specific operation times communicated to the traders to avoid confrontations with the authorities. This means different markets dealing with home appliances, electronics, farm produce, and art would be operational on different streets on different days," said Mr. Kabiru.
The Bill also proposes the licensing of traders for easier identification and the introduction of penalties for those operating outside designated trading zones.
Additionally, the Bill aims to protect the famous Maasai Markets at the Supreme Court ground and cushion itinerant traders who are victims of extortion and harassment from County authorities and administration police.
