Street vendors turn to petty crime as city crackdowns intensify
Saturday July 07 2018
Hawkers display their wares on the streets of Kigali. City residents allege that some street vendors resorted to petty crimes. PHOTO | FILE
Kigali street vendors are turning to illegal activities as city and local authorities intensify crackdowns on unlicenced commercial activities.
City residents allege that some street vendors have resorted to petty crimes including breaking into homes to steal household items.
Some of the vendors who sell products door-to-door are being accused of stealing from the same homes.
“Some of them are thieves targeting which homes to break into next. We have been having robberies every night in this neighbourhood,” said Silas Minani, a resident of Giticyinyoni, in Nyarugenge, where most vendors moved to following a crackdown in the City.
Cases of break-ins and theft have also been reported around Gisozi in Gasabo and parts of Kicukiro District like Kabeza where households are calling for tougher patrols.
Kigali City Council initially estimated that about 9,061 street vendors were operating across its three districts of Gasabo, Nyarugenge and Kicukiro.
The City’s move to set up mini-markets specifically for these vendors and the move to enforce fines on vendors and buyers has yet to yield positive results.
However, Steven Rwamurangwa, Gasabo District Mayor says despite the progress more enforcement is needed.
“We shall continue to find them slots in the markets and provide assistance for those who are really vulnerable,” he said.
Kigali City authorities report that so far more than 6,661 vendors have moved their activities into designated markets. But, vendors blamed their continuous presence on the streets to lack of capital as having a stall in the market requires about Rwf150,000 to Rwf350,000.