By Bizna Brand Analyst
Hawking has been a profession in Kenya since time immemorial, with street vendors an integral part of our urban history and culture. However, those involved in the business of selling small commodities haven’t always had it easy. Other businesses have challenges too but hawkers get it tougher. There are certain problems that only hawkers can understand. These are the five main ones
Harassment by City council askaris
It’s like city council askaris enjoy harassing hawkers. The cat and mouse games all over town in the evenings are never fun to watch but they never end. Every evening, you are likely to bunch into a group of people running in all directions. What’s even more heart-crushing is seeing women sprinitng with kids on their backs. You can’t help but wonder why county governments just don’t set up legislations to give hawkers market space in certain areas of urban centers.  I once asked a politician and he told me it’s not that easy. Well, nothing is ever easy.  Someone has to go out there and initiate change.
It’s a tiresome job
Bringing large sacks of vegetables, clothes and fruits and loading them in a carts or wheelbarrows is a tedious job that can weigh down on the strongest of individuals. Arranging, cleaning, sorting, weighing and dealing with customers is not easy. Hawkers are on the move from one lane to another irrespective of the heat, wind, rain and cold. Calling out loud to attract buyers, consumes time and energy. The hours, the tough work and the constant pressure takes its toll on even the most passionate people in the business. But families have to be fed so the hustle continues.
Lack of access to economies of scale.
Many hawkers cannot afford the luxury of buying in bulk. They are thus forced to pay retail prices for their goods. The lack of discounts and lower unit costs makes it harder to break even. Larger stores that deal with the same products that hawkers ell end up having a significant advantage businesswise. They can also afford to cope with minor losses that come with the business but hawkers can not. For street vendors, each and every penny counts. That’s why you will have a gladiatorial battle on your hands if you accidentally step on a hawker’s nyanya or kitunguu.
Negative perception by some members of the public
Hawkers are often regarded as public nuisance by some people. They are accused of depriving pedestrians of their space, causing traffic jams and having links with anti-social activities. People with class specifically don’t like hawkers yet it’s these people that have deep pockets. Wealthy and upper middle class people prefer shopping at secure stores where they can whip out their purses without attracting attention.
Poor income
The average earnings of street hawkers in major urban centers are low – ranging between 100 and 1000 shillings per day. They work under gruelling conditions for long hours and this is made worse by the fact that some customers want to bargain to the lowest amount. A large part of the hawkers’ income also goes in bribes and ‘protection money’ as they frequently get arrested.
Tough world indeed