Why Most Kenyans Prefer Hawking Despite Harsh Street Life

Walking in the busy streets of major towns in the country will show you just how big hawking is; over 60 percent of Kenyans make their living through informal sectors, largely hawking.

Hawking is the act of selling goods on the street and attracting the attention of people by calling out. It entails the sale of various products including clothes, fast food, fruits, drinks, snacks stationery, shoes, etc.

It is the one field that has somehow managed to employ some of the unemployed in Kenya, at least those who are up for the challenge since it calls for aggressiveness to get customers.

“Beba na chwani…size yako kabisa madam..kupima ni bure tu,” are some of the exact words you’ll hear most of the time as you walk from work or your daily activities. These individuals use a lot of energy to ensure they get your attention.

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In the absence of jobs and the increased spread of the coronavirus in the country, many youths, as well as middle-aged individuals, have undertaken to set up informal enterprises such as hawking to earn a living, and it’s working.

Hawkers are one of Nairobi County’s most significant sources of revenue yet the country is willing to crack down on the sector especially when it decides to move them out of the city.

“Covid 19 pandemic has made it hard for me and family to survive so I had to think of ways of making it work, you cannot just sit down and curse God for not blessing you with a job when you’ve got others depending on you.” Said one hawker who sells lady’s handbags at the Nairobi CBD in the evenings.

She added that evenings are the best time to sell as one gets many customers, especially those rushing home from work.

Just like any other business, hawking requires planning. And the best thing about it is that there’s no payment for rent like in the case of those who use stalls in the market.

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Another fruit vendor along Thika Highway said that although hawking has several advantages, they also face numerous challenges. But at the end of the day, you still have to man up because you’ve got responsibilities on your shoulder.

“It’s not an easy task, even though nothing is easy. It requires to be tough especially when you don’t meet up to your expectations, which also happens to almost all the established businesses. Sometimes we get to have a hard time with the County Council authorities who do not want us to sell in the CBD and you have to run to save yourself and your good,” he continued narrating what they face while at work.

A proposal by the then Governor Sonko in 2017 was to see hawkers in Nairobi pay a one-off fee of 2000 shillings every year to operate in the city to cut down on harassment by county askaris. Although Sonko campaigned for this it was never implemented. Up to date hawkers still, battle with the authorities who are not sympathetic at all. When they catch you, you either pay the amount they demand or they confiscate you plus your goods.

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As much as the relevant municipalities try to put order to these businesses, hawking remains highly unregulated in Kenya.  Some people are even complaining that it is difficult to walk in the streets past 5 pm as the hawkers and pedestrians are fighting for space. At times you might even be mistaken for a hawker by the county askaris who are hunting for those hawking illegally.

Hawking without a permit is illegal according to the constitution. The city’s by-laws allow for individuals intending to do the business to apply for a permit from the town clerk, something that is an uphill task to some individuals considering the steps involved.

Hawking can never be extinguished, not even if the government decides to find space and put up stalls for them. Some will still go back to the streets because according to them it is better than sitting waiting for your customer to come

In short, the goods sell first and you’re able to maintain your business. Unlike the other case where you might stock goods for months before selling.

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The covid 19 pandemics, however,  has not made it easy for the hawking business to thrive in the last couple of one and a half years. Since so many people lost their jobs, the hawkers have not had a stable market, especially with the movement restrictions that are put in place to curb the spread of the virus.

That said, hawking is not a criminal offense and any Kenyan has the right to participate in business activity of choice to put bread on the table.