Enacting a right-to-work law and access to trading licences and provision of a trading location to citizens

The Kenya Kwanza Administration promised to work with county governments to provide one-street trading. They promised to achieve it by the financial year 2026/2027.

• Progress is primarily centred on the legislative front, with the proposed Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood) Bill, 2023, advancing through Parliament and stakeholder engagements underway to create a legal framework for vending. The bill was passed on the 7th of August 2025 and referred to the National Assembly where the first reading took place on the 23rd of September 2025.
• However, significant challenges persist, including the ongoing tension between county efforts to enforce public order (often involving crackdowns and bans on street hawking in central areas) and the need to accommodate traders. On 23rd February 2026, KenHA issued a seven- day notice for roadside vendors on Thika Superhighway  to vacate.
• Operational infrastructure deficits in designated areas, vendor harassment, and issues with implementation and compliance continue to impede the successful establishment of formalized, supportive one-street trading environments.