The State Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs Kyofatogabye Kabuye, has warned that all vendors operating on the streets and roads in Kampala City must vacate their areas of operation by 8pm today.
Min Kyofatogabye Kabuye who made the revelation while addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Centre on Thursday noted that vendors who decline to follow the directive will have their products confiscated and could face arraignment before courts of law.
“February 19th today at 8pm, vendors should have left, I repeat vendors and in fact taxi operators who operate long the roads should have left and moved all your items, all your rubbish that you brought on the streets that were facilitating your activities” he said.
He added, “At the stroke of midnight today, vendors found trading illegally on walkways, roads, road islands, medians or other un gazetted areas will have their items impounded after which they will be taken to courts of law where necessary”.
Min Kyofatogabye warned that taxi operators picking up passengers along the roads and Boda Boda riders operating without designated stages are also expected to comply with the directive noting that some of the ‘good’ vendors and taxi operators had started vacating the city centre voluntarily on Thursday.
“This was our major objective and intention of not deploying today but of course we have invisible eyes in place today as we try to prepare the operational activities” he said.
Min Kyofatogabye further appealed to all vendors to vacate the streets and move to the selected private markets in Kampala to operate from before the entity deploys heavily to enforce the ban.
“Street vendors have been engaged directly and informed about the transition in the 17 KCCA markets and the available spaces totalling to 2,520 at the time. They were provided with contacts of operators of the 69 private markets in Kampala as well as for those in the Greater kampala Metropolitan Area” he said.
Earlier this month, during the initial announcement of the street order, 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.
