Street Vending: lessons from other countries

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OPINION

By Faith Namusana

Kampala's city streets are always alive with activity, from roadside food stalls to small traders dealing in secondhand clothes, stationery, electronics, and household items, among others.

Street vendors play a vital, often unrecognised role in the urban economy by providing employment and affordable goods. Despite this contribution, they operate in a state of high vulnerability, facing daily, systemic challenges that threaten their livelihoods and personal safety.

Since vendors lack legal recognition or licences, they have limited access to credit, making them dependent on informal, high-interest lenders.

The government should support these workers by providing safe spaces and opportunities.

Examples from other countries

Countries facing similar challenges with vendors in major cities have taken steps that Uganda should emulate.

Street vending management in major cities like Mumbai provides a relevant model for Uganda, particularly Kampala, which is currently undergoing intensified efforts to remove street vendors and relocate them to designated markets.

Whilst the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has been using enforcement measures to move vendors to existing public markets, Mumbai's approach focuses on legalising vending through structured frameworks. India recognised street vendors as an integral part of the city's economy rather than a nuisance. The 2014 Street Vendors Act protects their livelihoods and regulates street vending — a model that could help Uganda move away from purely reactive eviction.

Certificate of vending instead of informal  arrangements

Mumbai, in India, uses a formal Certificate of Vending based on surveys, providing vendors with legal status through a participatory process and the designation of specific trading zones.

South African municipalities and government agencies support vendors through structured interventions, including micro-loans, business training, and the promotion of co-operatives to foster economic growth. Key support includes training in financial management and marketing, access to micro-finance for entrepreneurs, and the establishment of informal trader associations for better organisation.

In Kenya, Nairobi City is implementing a structured, regulated framework for roadside and informal markets, aimed at reducing harassment, improving safety, and ensuring fair access to trading spaces for hawkers.

In the Philippines, the City of Manila and the wider Metro Manila area have seen authorities implement structured programmes to support vendors, promoting a balance between economic opportunity and orderly public spaces.

Including cooperative structures

In the Philippines, the government, through the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) and local government units, actively promotes the organisation of market vendors into cooperatives to enhance their financial inclusion, provide access to credit, and improve bargaining power.

Such approaches, if adopted in Uganda and combined with transparent beneficiary selection, fair interest rates, and expanded support to meet actual demand, could transform street vending from a daily struggle into a source of dignity and opportunity.

A call for inclusion

Persons with disabilities (PWDs), including women and youth involved in street vending, should be prioritised to gain financial independence, whilst their families benefit from improved school attendance and reduced poverty-related stress.

With proper oversight, training, and cooperative management, this initiative could turn street vending into a productive and dignified livelihood, benefiting both citizens and the city as a whole.

The human cost

Evictions and the lack of support come at a high human cost. Families lose income and savings in a single raid. Children drop out of school. Debt and stress increase. Women, single mothers, and PWDs are particularly vulnerable, as street vending is often their only source of income.

Government should introduce start-up grants for vendors

In a bid to empower street vendors, KCCA could consider providing at least sh50M per vendor as a start-up grant — capital to formalise businesses, purchase inventory, and set up safe, permanent stalls.

Formalised vendors pay licences and taxes, contributing directly to city revenue and creating employment within local communities, as vendors are able to hire assistants.

This would lead to reduced social costs, fewer evictions, less debt-related crises, and lower enforcement and social welfare expenses.

Kampala's street vendors, including PWDs, are hardworking, resourceful, and determined. They are not obstacles to development but citizens striving to earn a living. Supporting them through safe spaces, loans, training, fair selection systems, and bold measures such as start-up grants is not just humane — it is essential for building an inclusive city.

The writer is a commercial lawyer and business partner at Okayum Namusana & Company Advocates