Kigali City Council (KCC) authorities are working around the clock to have all hawkers off the Streets and relocate them to organized places but outside the city. Good idea indeed. According to Bruno Rangira, KCC public relations officer, the city plans to organise most of the hawkers into its various markets located in the outskirts of the City. It’s a positive move since under such arrangements; hawkers could even access loans from district credit schemes. No institution is willing to risk advancing loans to hawkers because their earnings are minimal and not guaranteed thereby drawing deeper into the poverty cycle. This idea should be supported by all members of society because once hawkers get better and more business-friendly environments, they will be able to improve their lives. It should also be argued that Kigali streets are in dire need of some breathing space. Though the hawkers earn a living out of vending in the middle of the streets to sustain their families, it’s very important for them to understand that having permanent locations from where to work is far better. Spending their time in running battles with KCC officials can never be a lasting solution to their predicament. Even though their kind of business is not bogged down by the daily hassles of paying taxes and rent, KCC’s solution will at least give them secure and orderly environments to plan their future. Otherwise they live from day-to-day, hand-to-mouth with no idea whether they will survive the day’s street battles with KCC. They only live one day at a time without knowing if they would exist on the Streets the following day. It’s therefore a brilliant idea by leaders of KCC to have hawkers off streets and get them organized alternative and business friendly environment places. The sooner they do it the better. Here, they can pay taxes; rent stalls but be able to plan for tomorrow. Ends
