Kisumu City Manager Doris Ombara has put hawkers on notice over their impending relocation.
Speaking to the press during the analysis of Kibuye, Jubilee and Otonglo market designs at City Hall on Tuesday, Ombara said that the hawkers are littering the city inconveniencing city cleaners.
She said that hawkers have caused a challenge with the legitimate businesses that have rented stalls and paying revenue.
Ombara said that the traders operating in stalls have to compete with hawkers who allegedly sell their goods are throw-away prices.
"Business competition has become very tight from the street hawkers," she said.
Ombara added that some of the traders complain that some merchandise sold on the streets is stolen from stalls.
She added: "As the city manager, I have an alternative solution which is the five markets within the county."
She lamented that some of the traders have to literary ask the hawker for permission to get to their stalls since they have taken charge of the streets.
At the same time, Ombara asked the hawkers to occupy the five major markets in Kisumu to decongest the CBD.
"The Kowino Market in Nyalenda is empty yet it was meant to decongest the city. Migosi has been turned into a church by some preachers on Sundays. We have Kosawo and Manyatta Peace market snext to the Chief's office which are unoccupied," said Ombara.
She added that Nyawita Market in Obunga area is empty to an extent that somebody had grabbed it and constructed a school.
Ombara insisted that the hawkers must be relocated since some of them pose a security threat in Kisumu.