Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has defended his administration’s decision to phase out business tents in the Central Business District (CBD), saying the move is aimed at restoring order and security in the city center.
Speaking during a radio interview on Wednesday, September 17, Sakaja explained that the unchecked mushrooming of tents, especially those selling mobile phones, had created congestion and disrupted the CBD’s aesthetic appeal.
“Everyone had set up ten tents, some selling phones and other items, without any structure. I prohibited this behaviour and made it clear, even to Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, that there must be proper organization,” said Sakaja.
He cited the walkways near the National Archives as a model of how the city should look without clutter. The governor added that designated spaces for small traders would be provided to ensure fairness while maintaining the CBD’s image as the capital’s face.
Business owners had also raised concerns that the tents posed security risks and unfair competition against rent-paying shops.
The move is part of wider efforts by City Hall to decongest and beautify Nairobi, including regulating hawkers, clearing illegal billboards, and improving walkways and cycle lanes with funding support of Ksh8.7 billion secured last year.
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