Hawkers in Kisumu have urged the county government to review its approach in implementing the 30 percent procurement tenders reserved for women and youth.
The more than 200 hawkers have said that lack of knowledge and the county government's laxity to include them in development programmes has made it difficult for them to access the tenders.
The Chairman of the Kisumu hawkers for development association Collins Choni said in an interview that none of the vulnerable groups registered under the association has received a procurement tender.
He noted that a vast majority of people in the hawking business included women, people living with disability and also young people who have been forced into the business because of the hard economic times.
Choni said that despite the hawkers registering groups and applying for tenders, they have not been able to get positive feedback.
"We keep on applying for the tenders but we do not know the specific requirements that we need to fulfill in order to get these tenders," he said.
He noted that inadequate knowledge of the initiative is denying the vulnerable groups the chance to exploit the affirmative action programme aimed at empowering women, youth and persons with disability by giving them more opportunities to do business with Government.
"The hawking business is very unpredictable and as a result the government should conduct a sensitization program to educate hawkers and other vulnerable groups about the government procurement tenders to enable them raise their income," said Choni.
He added that leaders have been feeding them with conflicting information that was leaving hawkers with confusion about the affirmative action.
Janet Akello a hawker at the Kisumu bus stop said that she had never heard of the government procurement tenders.
"It is very difficult for many of us to access information on the issue because the government is putting in very little effort to make us aware of such initiatives," said Akello.
She added that she would be very willing to exploit the initiative if she was provided with the relevant information about the process.
Maendeleo ya Wanawake Kisumu County Chairperson Christine Atieno expressed concerns over the low number of people turning up to apply for the tenders.
"It is saddening to note that at the moment less than 10 percent of women and other vulnerable groups in the county have come out to seek the procurement tenders," said Atieno.
She urged the people to take their applications to their office so that her office could follow them up with the county government.
"These tenders are aimed at empowering the vulnerable in the society but the low uptake by the same groups is making it not to serve its purpose," said Atieno.