Two of three figures in the foreground carry sacks on their backs, hunched over in scurrying forms along a street littered with the flotsam of city life. What appears to be a discarded disposable food container is perched against the pavement. The third figure, who at first glance appears indifferent to the rush, betrays this in the purposeful stretch of his stride. Others in the background stand still or stay flat against the wall of the building that stands by the road. All face the same direction, seeking the source of a collectively experienced disturbance, one that set the men ahead of them running. Behind the rushing figures, a bus bedecked in bold fonts comes down the road, with someone leaning halfway out of its door. A tree, stark and foreboding, looms over the left side of the street, obscuring a billboard. Its branches droop heavily towards the ground.
— Michelle Angwenyi
This photograph was captured along Latema Road in the Nairobi CBD.
The image is instantly recognizable to anyone who has done any roadside shopping in the CBD, where vendors and the city inspectorate are regularly engaged in a battle for control of sidewalks and paved pathways. The vendors typically have a spotter who warns them of a raid, after which they quickly carry away their makeshift displays to avoid their wares being seized.
I use photography to express myself, to question, to change perception, to marvel, to empower, to inspire, and to bring the viewer to look at the world differently.
Khalid Omar is a street photography hobbyist based in Nairobi where he has been collecting an image bank of this moment in time. He spends most of his days in the commercial business district, specifically in the downtown area. You can find more of his work on Instagram.
