How to best clean, organise Kampala City without vendors, boda boda, heavy traffic

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OPINION

By Carolyne Muyama

Last week, the minister for Kampala affairs, Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, issued an ultimatum to city vendors to vacate the streets and relocate to the 2000 free workspaces across the KCCA markets around the city.

This was received with considerable interest. mixed reactions among people: one group, especially traders with shops in different arcades, welcomed the idea, while vendors protested.

Kampala, Uganda’s political and economic centre, generates most of the country’s business activity and attracts thousands of newcomers each year seeking opportunities. This trend is accompanied by overwhelming chaos, congestion, and declining living conditions.

Those of us who commute to the city every day are familiar with the scene of long traffic jams stretching for hours, with boda bodas darting recklessly between vehicles, taxis stopping suddenly to pick up passengers, and vendors spilling onto pavements with tomatoes, second-hand clothes, and roasted maize.

Pedestrians weave through motorcycles and makeshift stalls, while drainage channels clogged with rubbish threaten to flood after every rain. Commercial buildings without proper drainage plans discharge sewage into the streets during rain. Without deliberate and targeted reforms, Kampala risks becoming not only inefficient but also unmanageable.

Kampala was built decades ago for a much smaller population. Today, most economic activity happens in the central business district, leading to hundreds of thousands of people commuting daily through the same small area.

Narrow roads, limited parking, and a weak public transit system make things worse. As a result, private cars, taxis, and motorcycles compete for the limited road space, causing frequent traffic jams that waste time and fuel and lower overall productivity.

At the same time, high unemployment and underemployment have pushed many young people into the informal economy. Boda boda riding and street vending have become survival strategies because they need little startup capital and offer immediate cash.

These sectors now support tens of thousands of households and are important to the urban economy. Motorcycles stopping anywhere disrupt traffic and increase accident rates. Informal stalls block sidewalks, generate waste, and complicate city management. The lack of structure harms both the public and traders, who face harassment, evictions, and unstable incomes.

The criminals have taken advantage of the situation to harass people who go to the city, especially downtown. The disorganised, crowded environment has encouraged crime and made law enforcement more difficult.

Road accidents, especially involving motorcycles, remain among the leading causes of injury and death. The casualty ward at Mulago Referral Hospital is overcrowded with boda-boda accident victims who continue to arrive every hour.

Despite these challenges, Kampala still has great potential. It remains the country’s most vibrant marketplace and a centre for education, culture, and innovation.

Planned neighbourhoods such as Kololo, Nakasero, and Bugolobi demonstrate that order, cleanliness, and safety can be achieved. What is needed is not the elimination of the informal sector but the organised integration of all economic players into a well-managed urban system.

A comprehensive response should begin with transport reform. The city needs an efficient, affordable mass transit system capable of moving large numbers of people quickly. The idea of buses should be discussed and properly implemented as a solution to traffic. Clear traffic management, sufficient parking facilities, and pedestrian-friendly streets would restore safety to city movement.

Consider formalising the boda boda sector rather than banning it, as doing so would increase unemployment. Let us revisit the idea that registration, licensing, rider training, and designated operating areas can turn motorcycles from a source of chaos into a regulated service. Identification systems and strict enforcement of traffic rules would also enhance security and accountability while maintaining jobs.

Restricting street vendors to the existing modern markets will free sidewalks and roads for public use. Traders in arcades paying rent for their spaces won’t feel undercut, since they pay taxes, yet vendors flood their shop fronts with safe products from their shops at a cheaper price, taking away their customers.

Kampala’s challenges are serious but manageable. Like other cities around the world, Kampala can evolve into a modern, well-organised capital that provides opportunities while keeping order. Let us embrace change and endure the pains of modernisation for us to create a city where transportation runs efficiently, businesses operate legally, and every citizen can pursue opportunities in a respectful and secure environment.

The writer works with Uganda Media Centre