English
Kinyarwanda
Rwanda National Police (RNP) has with immediate effect taken the lead role in all operations of moving vendors off the streets of City of Kigali (CoK).
The decision was arrived at in an executive meeting held early this week, as an effective effort to enforce the law against street vendors and ensure public order and safety.
Last month, City of Kigali issued stringent regulations against street vending, including a fine of Rwf10, 0000 to either a vendor or anyone found buying goods on streets.
The new measures against “Abazunguzayi” as they are locally known, follows previous fruitless efforts to relocate them to established markets to prevent disorder, insecurity, poor sanitation, accidents, which they were causing, according to officials.
The illegal business practice has since continued on streets when they sell clothes, fruits and vegetables, among other products, as some vendors vowing to carry on with the practice, where they have in some cases been violent against law enforcers who try to get them off the streets.
A case in point, fortnight ago, a mob of vendors in Nyabugogo bus terminal reacted violently against law enforcers wounded some of them, as they ordered they to get off the street.
In a meeting held on August 23 at the City Hall, and brought together local government officials and security organs, among others, it was formally disclosed that RNP will lead all operations aimed at enforcing the law to ensure that vendors operate only in established markets.
The meeting was chaired by CoK mayor, Pascal Nyamulinda flanked by RNP Spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Theos Badege.
It was also attended by the mayors of the city districts.
During a press conference, shortly after the meeting, Mayor Nyamulinda, said: “We have decided to put an end to street vending and end it now. Street vending has affected security and the hygiene of the city. The level of indiscipline involved is equally intolerable."
RNP will also base on the 2015 resolutions of the City of Kigali Advisory Council in its operations to ensure that the vendors operate in established markets, said ACP Badege.
Previously, these operations were were handled by DASSO or Irondo personnel.
ACP Badege said: “Majority of the street vendors are youth and women, who belong to a prime cluster with several economic empowerment programme.”
“There are markets that were constructed in all corners of the city for those who were on the street…those who went to the markets were also given incentives. The Government has several women and youth financial empowerment schemes and has also prioritized job creation for youth under the National Employment Programme (NEP), basically there is no justification for someone to sell on streets, yet there are available legal to earn a living."
“We are coming in as law enforcers and to ensure that the law and bylaws are respected to ensure public safety and put to an end such violent behaviors that undermine authorities and cause public disorder. Our operations have already started; police officers are already on ground,” ACP Badege disclosed.
He, however, clarified that there is no specific unit charged with preventing street vending, but rather incorporating it in the usual police operations.
According to the City of Kigali, so far, there are 14 markets constructed in different parts of the city that are meant to accommodate street vendors.
