In a continued push for inclusive governance and grassroots economic growth, Isiolo Governor Abdi Ibrahim Hassan (Guyo) has held a high-level engagement with the Isiolo Central Hawkers Association.
The meeting, led by Association Chairman Fredrick Kiara, marked another step in the county’s effort to bring informal traders closer to the heart of local decision-making.
The dialogue offered a rare and direct platform for honest conversations. Hawkers openly shared the realities they face daily while operating across Isiolo’s urban centres.
From crowded walkways to unpredictable enforcement routines, the traders held nothing back.
Several urgent matters topped the agenda. These included access to designated trading spaces, the nature of enforcement practices, poor sanitation and waste management, and the struggle for affordable credit.
Traders also called for a more structured and supportive business environment.
Governor Guyo listened keenly and responded with clarity. He described street-based enterprise as a critical pillar of the local economy.
His administration, he said, is determined to balance regulation with empathy.
“We remain committed to working closely with the association to address their concerns in a fair and progressive manner,” the Governor stated.
He added that sustainable urban growth must never push traders to the margins of development.
The discussions quickly moved from complaints to solutions. Both sides agreed on practical steps to improve working conditions while strengthening collaboration between the county government and the hawkers’ leadership.
The Governor emphasised that order and opportunity can go hand in hand. “These conversations were aimed at identifying practical and sustainable solutions to improve their working conditions,” he noted.
A major outcome was the mutual commitment to continuous engagement.
The county government promised to address challenges in a fair, progressive, and transparent manner.
For their part, hawkers’ leaders pledged to cooperate with ongoing efforts to organise and clean up trading zones.
The meeting also reaffirmed the county’s wider vision of economic empowerment. Small-scale traders, Governor Guyo argued, are not a problem to be managed but a force to be uplifted.
His administration views urban transformation as incomplete without the full participation of those who sell goods on its streets.
What stands out in Guyo’s approach is consistency. He does not wait for crises to act. Instead, he creates regular spaces for dialogue.
His leadership listens, responds, and delivers. For Isiolo’s hawkers, that message is no longer just a promise. It is becoming a daily reality.
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