Government has directed street vendors, taxi drivers and boda boda riders operating in the Kampala Capital City centre without designated stages to vacate the streets within two weeks or face arrest and arraignment before courts of law.
The directive delivered by the Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Hajjat Minsa Kabanda at the Uganda Media Centre was initially meant to take effect immediately on Thursday (Today) but government extended the operators a two week grace period to shift their operations following opposition from vendors.
“The political season has conclusively ended, Kampala is highly congested and government will no longer tolerate disorder, lawlessness, and abuse of public space in the name of survival or politics, effective immediately, Kampala City enters a phase of strict full, and continuous enforcement of all city laws and ordinances” she said.
Minsa noted that government had in recent months moderated it’s enforcement around the city to allow peaceful political participation for all which has now closed necessitating the capital city to return back to normal.
“Let me be very clear, street vending and hawking on roads, walkways, drainage channels, junctions, and road reserves is illegal and will not be tolerated” she said,
Hajjat Minsa further announced the abolishment of illegal boda boda stages in the central business district with immediate effect.
“Riding on pedestrian walkways, obstructing traffic, and operating without registration will result in instant impounding and arrest” she said.
Hajjat Minsa noted that KCCA is reviewing plans to reintroduce the Sunday market in the city centre to provide more working hours for the vendors.
“Those that require working spaces in those gazetted areas could approach KCCA directorate of gender for guidance, what follows now therefore, is enforcement of trade order and no dialogue any time” she said
She noted that KCCA has in the past few days been issuing notice of vacation of streets and urged people operating illegally in the city to vacate the areas voluntarily.
“Beginning today, joint enforcement teams comprising of KCCA, the Uganda Police Force, and other security agencies will commence full clearance operations across the city. Enforcement becomes automatic and zero tolerance, with no engagement or negotiations on the ground begins immediately today” Hajjat Minsa initially ordered.
However, the minister’s order was met with opposition from the vendors led by keneth Kizito, the chairperson of the Vendors and Hawkers Association who argued that the vendors are struggling to pay school fees and warned that arrests could negatively affect their children, who risk missing school if their parents are imprisoned.
Following the vendors raising their concerns, Hajjat Minsa reconsiderd the directive and extended the deadline by a fortnight to allow them sell of their existing stock.
“We have changed the directive to give you from today 5th until 19th February to vacate the streets and good enough by that time we will have started the Sunday market, please sell off you stock in those two weeks” she ordered.
The KCCA Deputy Executive Director, Mr Benon Moses Kigenyi revealed that the authority has identified alternative trading spaces within city markets.
Kigenyi noted that out of 15 KCCA-owned markets, nine markets with a total of 2,520 workspaces have been identified across all divisions in Kampala and can accommodate street vendors.
