HomeUrban alliances in Kenya form national alliance to represent street traders’ interests (KENASVIT)
By Winnie Mitullah, Institute of Development Studies
The Kenya National Alliance of Street Vendors and Informal Traders (KENASVIT) is a national organisation formed to represent street vendors’ and informal traders’ interests in Kenya. The alliance is an outcome of research that was conducted from 1998 – 2000 by the Institute for Development Studies (IDS), University of Nairobi, on Street Vending in Kenya. One of the main findings of this study was the revelation that street vendors lacked the capacity to organise themselves so as to have a strong voice on matters affecting them at local and national level.
The IDS organised a National Street Vendors’ Conference in October 2003 in which participants from Kisumu, Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret, Machakos and Nairobi attended. During this meeting, the participants resolved to form a national alliance to represent their interests at national level. A National Interim Steering Committee was appointed by the delegates at this conference to spearhead the formation of the national alliance. The core responsibility of the steering committee was to draw up a constitution. Meanwhile, the seven urban centres represented at the conference were asked to consolidate their membership in readiness for the formation of the national alliance.
The Institute for Development Studies, through funding from StreetNet, facilitated the process of building a national alliance. Three meetings were held to enable the national steering committee to draft the constitution for KENASVIT.
Constitution making process for KENASVIT
The first meeting was held at Merryland Hotel – Kisumu City in March 2004 to draft the constitution for KENASVIT. The basis of KENASVIT’s constitution was the constitutions of the member urban alliances. The justification for basing the KENASVIT constitution on urban alliance constitutions was to harmonise the objectives of the urban alliance and the national alliance, and therefore enhance and strengthen the street vendors’ voice in Kenya. At this meeting, the national steering committee, with support from IDS, through Dr WV Mitullah and Everlyne Wanyama, Henry Koweru from the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) and Lawrence Apiyo from Community Organisation Practitioners – Kenya (COPA) wrote the first draft of the KENASVIT Constitution.
The draft constitution was sent to the member urban alliances for sharing with their membership and for further input. The urban alliances held meetings with their membership to discuss the draft constitution. The next national steering committee meeting was held at Genevieve Hotel – Nakuru in October 2004. The proposed amendments to the first draft of the KENSVIT constitution were discussed and plans were made for the national delegates’ meeting at which the constitution was to be adopted and the national office bearers elected. This meeting was successful and it gave rise to the second draft of the KENASVIT constitution.
The Nakuru Draft was sent to the seven member urban alliances for further sharing and input from the wider membership, to nominate candidates for national office and to elect urban representatives. The National Delegates meeting was held at Manson Hotel in Mombasa on 18th march 2005. The main agenda of the meeting was to discuss further proposed amendments on the constitution and then adopt it. The delegates were expected to elect the national office bearers for the KENASVIT and chart the way forward for the national alliance.
During this meeting the delegates adopted the final constitution and national office bearers were elected. The following were elected to the National Executive Committee (NEC).
1. Chairperson Mr. Simon Sang’ale Ole Nasieku (Nakuru)
2. Vice Chairperson Mrs. Teresa Akong’o (Kisumu)
3. Secretary Mr. Peter Okello (Migori)
4. Vice Secretary Mr. Benard Maingi Isika (Machakos)
5. Treasurer Mrs. Viginia Wangui Mwangi (Mombasa)
6. Vice Treasurer Mrs. Asha Saidi (Nairobi)
7. Organising Secretary Mr. Rueben Oraba (Kisumu City)
8. Vice Organising secretary Mrs.Rose Simon (Machakos)
Seven urban representatives from the following towns were elected: Kisumu City, Eldoret Town, Machakos Town, Nairobi City, Nakuru Town, Migori Town and Mombasa City.
What is KENASVIT?
KENASVIT is a national alliance of street vendors and informal traders in Kenya. It is a membership organisation which admits urban alliances (umbrellas) that consist of several associations which are working together to address issues affecting them in a given town. The national office for this alliance is located in the town of Nakuru where the chairperson, Mr. Simon Sang’ale Ole Nasieku, is based.
KENASVIT’s vision is to transform street vending and informal businesses into corporate establishments. Its mission is to organise and empower street vendors and informal traders; to improve their business through training, and access to credit; to dialogue with local authorities and other relevant institutions on appropriate by-laws and policies that would give recognition to and bring to an end harassment and discrimination against traders.
The alliance has members in seven urban centres in Kenya, namely: Mombasa, Machakos, Migori, Nakuru, Kisumu, Eldoret and Nairobi. Membership to KENASVIT is open to street vendors’ and informal traders’ associations all over Kenya. To become members of KENASVIT, the street vendors’ and informal traders’ associations in a given town are expected to come together to form an Umbrella Association (which in the KENASVIT constitution is referred to as an urban alliance). It is through the urban alliance that traders become members of KENASVIT. Nationally, KENASVIT membership stands at 1,656 members who are found in over 60 smaller associations that form the urban alliances found in the seven towns.
After the election of national office bearers, the National Executive Committee was charged with responsibility of registering KENASVIT with the registrar of societies. Since KENASVIT is a national body, it urgently requires an operational office to be located in Nakuru to enable proper coordination of its activities.
The registration will be followed by the launching of the national alliance. The launch is expected to bring together street traders, policy makers, including urban governors and practitioners and academics. All the seven urban alliances, except Eldoret, have shown their commitment to the National Alliance by paying a registration of Ksh. 2,000 each. Part of this amount will be used for registering the alliance.