HANDCART PUSHERS

As rain pounds in different parts of the country it always comes with a lot of blessings like good harvests.  Fresh produce from the farms will always find their way to the city and to city residents shopping baskets as they are very essential in our day to day life.   Handcarts in Nairobi are majorly used to transport fresh produce for traders around the city suburbs though they are also used for carrying other goods like bales of clothes, furniture, etc, to various destinations.

In fact, the carts are among the top transport machines in Nairobi and are giving vehicles a run for their money.  Each of the handcarts is manned by one person but when there is a business to ferry heavy cargo, one or two more people are hired to help in loading and unloading. You will see them on major highways loaded with various goods, in particular fresh produce, cruising at a speed of up to 50 km per hour as they head to suburbs.  The distance the goods are ferried does not matter to the operators of the non-motorized carts. Some ferry the produce bought from Wakulima and Muthurwa markets in the city center to suburbs over 40 km away.

Manned by at least two people, it is easier to pick the carts in traffic jams in Nairobi from afar. Always, they will be packed with goods to the brim, with some of the cargo going up to three meters high.  It is a feat that most small trucks cannot manage, but the operators of the carts do, despite the long distances they travel.

Benefits of Handcarts to City Residents

One may wonder why the city residents cling to handcarts, despite better forms of transport and the modernization of the city.  But then with the rate of unemployment being high, where should handcarts go as they are one of the biggest employers of the youth in Nairobi.   

Most of the handcarts operating in Nairobi are made at Gikomba market, creating jobs. Each is sold at between 110 dollars and 200 dollars, like vehicles, depending on the size and make. Some handcart owners have generated wealth from the business and in turn invested in more other businesses. As they would say, “on a good day, they make up to 50 USD depending on the goods ferried.

It’s hard to eliminate the carts from our transport because they play a crucial role.  Traders prefer handcarts because they are cheaper and they also reach where vehicles cannot.

Effects of Handcarts to other Road Users

Wakulima market is located along Haile Selassie Avenue therefore most handcarts operate along there.  Not forgetting about road safety, you will see the mkokoteni being pushed and pulled by may be three men drenched in sweat – two pushing at the back and one pulling from the front, the eyes firmly focused on the ground.  The three seem obliviously not to be bothered of the fact that there are probably more than a hundred Nairobians behind them whose journey had been reduced to a snail’s pace. 

A pedestrian can easily be knocked down by a handcart pusher and instead of them saying sorry; they will add more insults claiming it’s your fault for not being careful.  It is indeed called hustling with no mercy at all.  To motorists, they often cross lanes, use the wrong side of the road or pavement and do not respect traffic lights. 

How the County Government is Handling the Issue

Nairobi County government has banned the handcarts in the central business district, terming them as nuisance, but sometimes they find their way in. Attempts to ban the carts from the city have actually been a challenge for them.

However, as the east Africa’s business hub gravitates towards the metropolis status and as Nairobi modernizes, handcart operators may soon be compelled to use bells and reflectors while on the road. This comes after the County Assembly passed a directive to have handcart operators install bells and indicators as a way of improving the transport system in Kenya.

The motion is seeking to improve road safety and the conduct of handcart operators in the city. Mlango Kubwa Ward representative Andrew Macharia who brought the motion to the floor of the house claims that most accidents in the city are caused by mikokoteni (handcarts), especially at night. This is because most handcarts have no reflectors and often move on the wrong side of the road.  If passed, the operators could also be forced to work between 6am and 6pm.

Therefore, since it is hard to do away with handcarts; I believe when the law is finally amended perhaps, handcart pushers will need to also be educated on traffic rules to be at par with other road users as far as transport is concerned.