COTU secretary general Francis Atwoli wants hawkers and bodaboda operators forced out of Mombasa Road.
Speaking on Wednesday night on the Jeff Koinange Live (JKL) show aired on Citizen TV, the renowned trade unionist said that the hawkers and bodaboda operators were giving the country a bad image.
He contended that the two groups are an eyesore that should be done away with.
"Those hawkers who are hawking along Mombasa Road, they are not supposed to be there," Atwoli said in a video shared on YouTube. (8:13-8:20)
He contended that by seeing them, tourists coming from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) were getting the impression that Kenya is an extremely poor country.
Atwoli, however, called on the government to empower the young people so that they don't have to hawk and work in the bodaboda industry.
He noted that their sight reflected very badly on the Kenyan society and the government, and was a failure of imagination.
The COTU boss further challenged the youths to equip themselves with skills in polytechnic and colleges across the country so that they can lead more dignified lives and careers.
Due to the high rate of unemployment, young people have ventured into hawking and the bodaboda industry to fend for themselves and their families.