Recently the Mayor of   Kigali City, Monique Mukaruliza, urged the Street Vendors in Kigali to work in cooperatives and avoid operating informal businesses to be more secure and contribute to the economy of the country by paying taxes.
One month ago, the City of Kigali relocated vendors, especially women, who were operating along city streets to Nyabugogo Market.
The move was aimed at easing their operations as they were given markets to work from for a year without paying any kind of fees, the project is under the National Employment Programme (NEP).
In a visit MIFOTRA Staff carried out in Nyabugogo Hangars constructed to accommodate former Street Vendors and which now accommodates more than 2,000 former Street Vendors, these former illegal business operators manifested joyful satisfaction after they have been allowed to work in a safe area and their businesses have profit.
Street Vendors vowed not to return in streets, and promised to sensitize the vendors who are still street to halt illegal business.
The City of Kigali urged them to form Cooperatives so that they can get NEP Support.
“People who work in cooperatives develop easily. The progress you see in this city is about people who joined their efforts together, and some got loans and have constructed modern houses, we see in Kigali City today.  We have seen people who were once street vendors but have now succeeded due to working together. Look at cooperatives in Gakiriro of Gisozi, those people were vendors but they made it, I also urge you to form Cooperatiives” disclosed the Mayor of Kigali in recent briefing in the media.
She noted that people who do informal businesses evade taxes.  “We want street vendors to quit working on streets. They should work in an organized way and promote to the development of our country. We have registered some of them and we will provide them with business training, based on what they want to sell. Later we will look for them a good place where they will be selling their goods, such that they can develop,” she noted.