Former park yard traders want street vendors evicted

Apr 05, 2017

"KCCA evicted us, but left street vendors operating. Why doesn't the authority also evict them to occupy its existing markets," they said adding that this will help them increase sales in the way that all the clients will move to markets to purchase goods.

Former park yard traders who are now occupying different KCCA markets more notably Usafi Market have appealed to the Kampala Capital City Authority to evict street  vendors saying they out compete them in business.

"KCCA evicted us, but left street vendors operating. Why doesn't the authority also evict them to occupy its existing markets," they said adding that this will help them increase sales in the way that all the clients will move to markets to purchase goods.

During a press conference organised by the KCCA at the market premises on Tuesday morning, other traders for instance one Blasio Mukasa complained of their lost property during eviction and this has since affected some traders from re-establishing business. Mukasa said it's the reason why some stalls that were given to the former park yard vendors are empty.

  ome of the people that earn through removing pods from beans and peas Some of the people that earn through removing pods from beans and peas

 



"I lost about sh4m during the scuffle with Police and KCCA enforcement team in the eviction process, now I am struggling to start a fresh," said 55 year old Molly Mbawade who deals in men's outfits.

Mbawade also said there's a problem of accessibility of the market by the clients arguing more gates should be constructed so that more clients access different stalls in the market. She also said her fellow former park yard vendors are still faced with competition with the already established traders in the market.

"Gov't should give us startup capital of about sh500, 000 each or low interest rates loans," she said.

Abdullah Kibugo,the Usafi Market publicity secretary confirmed that there's stiff competition since park yard traders were given stalls in the Usafi market. He said the government should help them and give them startup capital.

He said Usafi has the capacity to accommodate over 5,000 traders and appealed for more former park yard vendors to apply.

"Some vendors gave out two different names while applying and this made some of their colleagues to lose out," he said adding:" The more the numbers, the more the congestion and crime rate in the market."

James Lwanga, the employment manager at KCCA said over 1000 former park yard vendors have occupied Usafi market. He said others occupied markets like Wandegeya and Nakasero. He said the authority will soon embark on the operation of cracking down all the street vendors saying they have kept deaf ears regardless of several government warnings.

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