Moi Avenue and Ronald Ngala Street have received a facelift with newly renovated pavements,challenge of hawkers encroaching on these spaces persists.

By Citizen Digital

Residents of Nairobi, particularly those who frequent sections of Moi Avenue and Ronald Ngala Street, have a reason to smile.

This comes after significant renovations were completed on sidewalks and pavements that had deteriorated over the years due to continuous neglect and poor maintenance.

These renovations are gradually enhancing the aesthetics of a city that, according to the 2019 Census, had a population of over four million people, most of whom rely on walking. According to Nairobi County Chief Officer, Works, Engineer Geoffrey Tirop, the ongoing facelift and renovation of pavements and non-motorized transport (NMT) infrastructure will cover Ronald Ngala, Tom Mboya, and part of Odeon. “The Nairobi City County Government’s Works department has earmarked Moi Avenue, Harambee Avenue, Haile Selassie Avenue, Tom Mboya (upper section), Kenyatta Avenue, City Hall Way, Mama Ngina Street, Muindi Mbingu, Standard Street, and Wabera Street for renovation works,” Tirop told Wananchi Reporting.

In the past, residents of Nairobi have raised concerns over poorly maintained or non-existent walkways, which made walking in the capital challenging.

“In the past, people have been forced to walk on the road due to reduced walking areas, which can be very dangerous as the roads are used by motorists,” said Alphonse Odongo, a Nairobi resident.

“It is much better now because people can walk freely without the fear of being knocked down by motorists,” Odongo added. A report by the United Nations Environment Programme highlighted that 45 percent of people in Kenya walk for their daily trips, with many others relying on non-motorized transport.

Interestingly, despite NMT being the most dominant mode of transport in Kenya, it is often the least considered in urban planning and investments.

The Integrated National Transport Policy (2012) acknowledges the importance of NMT in addressing the needs of the poor and promoting public health.

Some residents who spoke to Wananchi Reporting expressed their desire for the Nairobi County government to restrict the use of pavements exclusively to pedestrians.

“It is good that we have these new pavements and walkways, but why are hawkers allowed to take them over?

“It defeats the purpose of building pavements if hawkers are going to invade them,” wondered Juliet Hamisi, a Nairobi resident.

Residents are urging the Nairobi County government to prevent hawkers from occupying pavements meant for pedestrian use.