Nairobi County hawkers have protested a move by City Hall to ban hawking on main streets in the Central Business District and at regulated times.

This follows a notice issued by Nairobi County Acting County Secretary Godfrey Akumali on Thursday, prohibiting them from operating on main streets and only restricting them to backstreets and lanes.

Normally, the hawkers occupy pedestrian walkways, thus creating congestion and denying free and comfortable walking.

Shop owners who pay taxes have been complaining of hawkers selling in front of their shops thus denying their customers good view of their products.  Read: Sakaja: No more street hawking within Nairobi CBD "Hawking of merchandise will only be allowed on backstreets and lanes from Monday to Saturday, between 4 pm and 10 pm," the notice stated.  Hawkers are permitted to operate only along the backstreets connecting Tom Mboya Street to Kirinyaga Road.