Neglect or Repression? A Comparative Analysis of Urban Governance and the Socio-Economic Vulnerability of Street-Based Populations in Zanzibar and Kampala

Abstract

Street-based livelihoods whether through vending or begging remain persistent indicators of urban poverty across African cities, paradoxically coexisting with concentrated wealth and ambitious urban modernization agendas. This paper presents a comparative analysis of socio-economic vulnerability among street vendors and the urban poor in Zanzibar Town, Tanzania, and Kampala, Uganda, drawing on primary survey data from Zanzibar (2014, n = 59) and secondary literature on Kampala's informal economy. The Zanzibar findings reveal that lack of alternative income sources (45.8%), physical fitness among 52.5% of beggars, and the near-total absence of formal Zakat assistance (96.6% never received it) define the landscape of street-level poverty. In Kampala, an estimated 230,000 individuals depend on street vending, yet face systematic evictions and repression under the Kampala Capital City Authority. While both cities exhibit structural economic exclusion as the primary driver of street-based survival, their policy responses diverge sharply: Zanzibar exhibits benign neglect with underutilized Islamic charitable mechanisms, whereas Kampala pursues aggressive spatial expulsion without adequate alternative livelihoods. Encouragingly, over 83% of Zanzibar's beggars expressed a definitive desire to cease begging if alternatives existed. The paper argues that neither approach addresses fundamental vulnerabilities and recommends formalized social protection, digitized Zakat distribution, and inclusive urban planning that recognizes street-based livelihoods as legitimate economic strategies.