<\/p>\n
The comments follow the introduction of new regulations affecting foreign nationals operating in small-scale retail and hawking businesses in Kenya.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Kenya National Alliance of Street Vendors and Informal Traders Secretary-General Samuel Mburu said the focus should be on creating a fair and lawful business environment for all traders, regardless of nationality. \u201cThe business environment should be fair for everyone. It should not be target-based or directed at a certain group,\u201d Mburu said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
According to Mburu, concerns among local traders extend beyond competition from foreign-owned businesses. Compliance with tax laws, business registration requirements and fair trading practices are also key issues.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mburu said some foreign traders operating without proper documentation or registration could gain an advantage over businesses that comply with regulations.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The alliance believes enforcement measures should apply equally to citizens and non-citizens to ensure a level playing field across the informal sector.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Local traders have also raised concerns about competition from importers who bring goods into the country and sell directly at lower prices than small-scale vendors can access through wholesalers. \u201cThe competition must be the same, and it must be fair for everyone,\u201d Mburu said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
However, Mburu stressed that restricting foreign participation alone would not resolve the challenges facing informal traders.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Access to markets, affordable finance, business support and a stable operating environment remain significant concerns for many vendors.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Harassment and uncertainty surrounding business operations continue to affect traders in the informal economy, according to the alliance.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mburu said proper registration and documentation for all businesses would help improve oversight while supporting lawful trade.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The alliance also believes improved regulation could address security concerns linked to undocumented economic activity while ensuring legitimate traders can continue operating.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":36722,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"news-type":[26],"class_list":["post-44979","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"Kenyan informal traders have welcomed efforts to regulate small-scale retail activities but argue that stronger enforcement, fair competition and better business conditions are needed to improve livelihoods.","published_date":"","news_description":"Kenyan informal traders have welcomed efforts to regulate small-scale retail activities but argue that stronger enforcement, fair competition and better business conditions are needed to improve livelihoods.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/44979","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/44979\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44980,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/44979\/revisions\/44980"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=44979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}