Paper short abstract:

The paper explores mobilities of street vendors through and between the secondary town of Thika in Kenya, its hinterlands which are mainly the rural areas and the capital city, Nairobi. It emphasizes how vendors build social connections to earn their livelihoods as they interact with various actors

Paper long abstract:

The mobility of a large number of hawkers into the streets of Thika (Secondary town) became significant since 2015. The exchange and circulation of goods in Thika are extending the large Nairobi metropolitan urban spaces up to rural areas and therefore structure a trade route . This trade route links urban and rural hinterlands; between formal and informal sectors; agricultural and manufactured products enhancing Metropolisation process. Besides enhancing linkages, Street vending in the informal sector continues to create more jobs according to the 2020 Kenya Economic Survey report.

Despite their important roles, local authorities continue to target hawkers as illegal traders. They face harassment and sometimes police are hired to relocate them away from their urban locations . These operations result in crackdowns, and confiscating of vendors' commodities. Sometimes vendors prefer not to pick them back but instead buy new stock to restart their business. Sometimes, street vendors normally have to bribe the authorities to continue their business. According to Africa's uncensored media (2018), corrupt officers collected bribes of around $ 1 million a month in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.

Therefore, this article explores the rivalries of power for access to streets, private appropriation of public spaces, and streets as economic and political resources. It also focuses on how Street vending construct a trade route linking Nairobi city, Thika Town, its rural hinterland and internationally through flows of their goods. During their mobility and livelihood diversification, street vendors interact with various actors and face regulatory frameworks that affect their activities.