ILI Study: Bridging Policy and Practice: Improving Working Conditions and Advancing Formalization for Informal Workers in Nairobi and Kiambu

Abstract

The study examined the working conditions of informal workers in Nairobi and Kiambu counties to assess the existing policies and explore opportunities for formalization. The study was motivated by recognition that informal workers are a critical source of livelihood in Kenya, providing employment and sustaining millions of livelihoods. The sector is dominated by women and youth who engage in street vending, domestic work, small-scale trading, and artisanal services as sources of income. While this sector has proven to be resilient and adaptive, it is also marked by instability, poverty, and exclusion from the protections and benefits available in the formal economy.