Govt orders vendors off streets

Sep 02, 2011

Government on Friday said street vendors and hawkers who fail to vacate the streets by Sunday will be dealt with according to the law.

By Taddeo Bwambale

Government on Friday said street vendors and hawkers who fail to vacate the streets by Sunday will be dealt with according to the law.

“Government directs all street vendors and hawkers to vacate the streets by Sunday,” the minister in charge of the presidency, Kabakumba Masiko said, adding that, “Anyone who violates the directive will be dealt with in accordance with the law.”

The order backs an earlier directive by the Kampala Executive Director, Jennifer Musisi to street vendors and hawkers to leave the streets by Sunday or face forceful eviction.

Addressing journalists at the media centre, the minister said the Government had secured over 8,000 spaces in 69 city markets where the vendors can sell their merchandise.

Over 8,500 street vendors are estimated to be operating in the city’s central business district alone. Most of them operate along pavements, road reserves and outside shopping centres.

Most of the vendors in the city trade in small household items including clothes, pastries, beverages, shoes, among others.

Kabakumba urged the vendors to register with the respective market leaders to get space, and cautioned them against heeding advice from politicians to resist the move.

“Vendors should know that those discouraging them from leaving the streets are their enemies,” Kabakumba said, adding that the eviction was intended to restore trade order in the city, prevent security threats, reduce congestion and address unfair competition suffered by shop keepers.

She warned politicians within the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) against interfering with the eviction, arguing that the exercise was an administrative function under the Kampala Capital City Act, 2010.

“This is an administrative matter, not a policy issue. The law is clear on who implements policies; it is the administrative function led by the executive director,” she said.

She observed that in the law, the powers of politicians had been reduced substantially, and urged them to cooperate with the government to streamline business in the city.

“Some of the politicians were in Parliament when the KCCA law was being discussed, but they did not contest the issue,” she added.

In June, the Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago opposed a two-week ultimatum given to vendors to leave the streets. He asked KCCA and the government to find alternative trade settlements before evicting them.

Kabakumba said the Government had acquired land in Nalukolongo, on the outskirts of the city to construct an ultra-modern model market would start soon in Busega, on the outskirts of the city.

She also said the Government had secured funds to construct new markets and renovate existing markets in various city suburbs.

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