Traders who mainly operated on First Avenue and adjacent streets had planned to demonstrate against their eviction in October.

Riot officers drawn from regular and administration police units kept guard, thwarting the plans by the traders.

Some have stayed away from the streets but others have been playing cat and mouse games with city inspectorate officials.

The Nairobi government identified a piece of land for their relocation but they refused to move saying it was too far away from customers.

Mainstream traders said they preferred the streets and did not want to pay rent and be charged for business permits.

Read: Eastleigh hawkers defy calls to evacuate, blame mall owners for grabbing land

Businessmen with shops said the small scale traders’ removal was good for them but noted the county should have been more serious about nsuring they did not return to the streets.

They said officers chased the hawkers around in order to be seen as “doing something”.

“If I am selling a belt at Sh150 and a hawker is selling the same belt at Sh100 at the doorstep of my shop, because he does not pay rent and does not require business permits, will I get a customer? posed businessman Ishmael Osman.

Saadia Abdulahi said the hawkers exposed their customers tot he risk of getting pick-pocketed and mugged.

He said some posed as porters but made away with people’s property.

The business people further complained that motorists and boda boda operators were eating into their space and causing inconveniences.

“Sometimes, pedestrians are forced to swerve into our shops to void speeding motorbikes,” said Shukri Ahmednasir.

“We want the county government to enforce by-laws and ensure public service vehicle operators and others park at designated places, not on pedestrians’ paths and open spaces outside our premises.”

Read: Eastleigh traders close 45 malls, cite hawkers’ invasion

Also read: Eastleigh traders want missing mall guards traced

Source:The Star/Kenya