Traffic disrupted in Nairobi CBD today January 30, 2025 with roads impassable as matatu operators block major routes citing misplacement by the city hawkers who are now occupying their parking spaces.
This later resulted in the public service vehicles being forced to cease operations with traffic heading to the CBD getting disrupted.
In videos circulating on x ,the drivers are seen playing football in the middle of the streets with no traffic on site causing a standstill within Nairobi Central Business District.
Reports claimed that so far, the protests have been peaceful but police officers arrived at the scene and were monitoring the situation at hand.
Since Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja ordered hawkers to evacuate main avenues and limited their operating hours, there has been a simmering conflict between CBD hawkers and matatu operators for weeks.
Sakaja prohibited hawking along sidewalks in Nairobi’s main streets and roads in a decree issued on January 9.
In an act of goodwill, the governor of Nairobi declared that hawkers would still be permitted to operate on designated backstreets and lanes from Monday through Saturday between 4 and 10 p.m., but specifically listed Moi Avenue, Haile Selassie Avenue, Kenneth Matiba Road, Latema Road, Ronald Ngala Street, Mfangano Street, Hakati Road, and River Road as off-limits.
Major thoroughfares such as Kirinyaga Road and Tom Mboya Street are among these accessible roadways.
As part of Governor Sakaja’s plan to declutter Nairobi’s central business district, hawkers were prohibited causing them to change tactics and enter backstreets, which are primarily utilised by PSV drivers to pack their vehicles.
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