Nairobi’s Central Business District is facing a growing parcel transport trade, with lorries and other commercial vehicles increasingly using public loading zones and pedestrian spaces as makeshift business premises.
Nairobi CBD MCA John Mwaniki Kwenya has raised concerns over the growing number of parcel operations, questioning how the businesses have been allowed to expand without what he says is adequate regulation.
“Hizi malori za Parcels zimejaa kila mahali,zimedisrupt duka za watu wa biashara, wanafunga walkways mpaka watu wanashindwa kutembea,” he said.
Kwenya says the operators, some of whom he alleges are linked to matatu saccos, have increasingly shifted their attention from passenger transport to parcels after identifying an emerging market in the city.
The MCA claims some of the operators may not have the required licences, raising questions about whether the county’s enforcement and mobility systems are keeping pace with the changing nature of commercial activity in the CBD.
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Public space under pressure
Among the areas Kwenya has identified are Ukwala Lane, the area opposite Kamukunji Police Station, Accra Road and the vicinity of Simba Coach.
He says lorries remain stationed in these areas for much of the day, with loading zones being used as permanent operating points rather than for their intended purpose.
The result, according to Kwenya, is pressure on already limited pedestrian and trading spaces.
He argues that the issue goes beyond individual businesses occupying pavements, It points to a wider challenge in Nairobi like how public spaces are allocated, monitored and enforced as new commercial activities emerge.
For pedestrians, vehicles occupying walkways can make movement more difficult, while established parcel businesses that operate from recognised premises face competition from roadside operators.
Who is responsible for regulating the trade?
The rapid growth of the parcel trade also raises questions about the role of the county government and other agencies responsible for transport, mobility, licensing and enforcement.
Kwenya wants the county executive, particularly officers in the mobility department and enforcement teams to investigate the operations and establish whether the businesses have the necessary approvals.
“Wale watu wanaitwa enforcers wa sheria wawaangalie hawa watu kama wamecomply, wametoa barua wapi? Nani amewapea ruhusa ya kuweka mizigo kwa barabara,”
He is also seeking answers on how the mushrooming of the operations was allowed to continue for months without intervention.
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The question is not simply whether individual operators have licences, It is also whether existing county regulations provide a clear framework for the growing parcel transport industry and whether those regulations are being consistently enforced.
The expansion of parcel services reflects a wider change in Nairobi’s urban economy As demand for the movement of goods grows, transport operators are finding new opportunities beyond carrying passengers But the growth of a new business sector can create problems when commercial activity outpaces regulation and available public space.
For Nairobi, the challenge is to balance the demand for affordable and accessible parcel services with the need to protect pedestrian spaces, maintain orderly traffic movement and ensure that businesses operating in the CBD comply with the same rules.
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