Mukono traders cautioned against extortion ahead of crackdown

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Traders in Mukono Municipality have been cautioned against individuals soliciting money in exchange for protection from eviction, as authorities prepare to enforce a planned trade order directive targeting roadside vendors.

Enforcement of the trade order, preceded by a two-week ultimatum issued to affected traders, is set to begin on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.

Speaking during a meeting with business leaders on March 30, 2026, Mukono Municipality town clerk Francis Byabagambi warned that the operation will be conducted by clearly identified enforcement teams.

“Do not give money to anyone claiming they can save you. This operation will be firm and without exception,” he said.

Mukono Town Clerk, Francis Byabagambi addressing the traders' representatives on Monday. (Photo by Henry Nsubuga)

Byabagambi emphasised that the enforcement will proceed as planned, noting that the municipality is implementing a national directive.

“The deadline expires tomorrow (Tuesday), and nothing will stop the operation,” he said.

Byabagambi explained that the exercise will begin with the removal of traders operating in temporary structures along major roads, including the Kampala–Jinja Highway, Seeta–Namugongo Road, Kayunga Road, and Wantoni–Kisoga Road.

However, the move has drawn mixed reactions from political leaders and local stakeholders, just hours before its implementation.

Mukono district NRM chairperson Haruna Ssemakula, on March 30, 2026, wrote to the town clerk requesting an immediate suspension of the eviction, saying the decision followed a resolution by the district NRM executive committee.

“We established that the exercise will negatively affect government economic interventions such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga. Some of the affected traders even hold valid trading licences issued by the municipality,” Ssemakula stated.

He added that while the party does not oppose restoring order, the process should involve wider stakeholder consultations to address emerging concerns.

Mukono Municipality Member of Parliament Betty Nambooze Bakireke also called for a temporary halt to the evictions until the municipality identifies alternative trading spaces for vendors, warning that the impending redevelopment of Kame Valley Market under the World Bank-funded Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area programme will further displace traders.

However, Mukono Municipality NRM chairperson John Baptist Wamala disagreed with his fellow party leaders, insisting that they lack the mandate to stop a national directive.

“The trade order is being implemented across municipalities and cities, including Kampala. Why should Mukono be different?” Wamala said, accusing some leaders of engaging in “cheap politics.”

Wamala also faulted Ssemakula for allegedly acting unilaterally, claiming that some members of the district executive were neither consulted nor invited to the meeting that resolved to halt the exercise.

Despite the differing views, the municipality has maintained its position, with enforcement set to proceed as planned.

The unfolding standoff reflects broader tensions at the local level, as leaders balance enforcement of urban order with the economic realities facing small-scale traders.

However, over the weekend and by the close of business on Monday, a number of traders had already begun relocating voluntarily without waiting for enforcement.