City vendors defy KCC order
Oct 11, 2010
STREET venders operating in down town Kampala have vowed not to leave the streets until the Government gets them a permanent area of operation.
By Brian Mayanja and Andrew Ssenyonjo
STREET venders operating in down town Kampala have vowed not to leave the streets until the Government gets them a permanent area of operation.
This follows a directive from the Kampala City Council (KCC) town clerk, David Naluwayiro, warning vendors to vacate the streets before yesterday.
The affected streets include Namirembe Road, Allen Road, Nakivubo (Nabugabo) Nakivubo Mews, Burton Street, Luwum Street, Nakasero Market area, Market Street and parts of Kampala Road.
However, vendors were still operating their businesses on the above streets yesterday. Some of them said the Government should allocate them a place near the city.
“We occupy the streets because of market availability. Before we leave the streets, we need to be assured of a place that is easily accessible by our customers.
“There is politics in all this. How can you evict one carrying out trade on the streets and leave out the one operating in the middle of the road during evening hours,†said Kiraga Lubega, who deals in new clothes on Nakivubo Mews lamented.
Another vendor, Hadijah Namutebi operating on Namirembe road, said buses and taxis occupy more space than them and she wondered why KCC officials had chosen to harass them.
Swaib Kayima, a vendor at Nakasero Market area, said KCC officials had failed to put garbage containers on the streets for proper disposal of rubbish.
“KCC Officials are interested in levying taxes from us, but there are services offered,†Kayima said.
The Kampala City Traders’ Association security secretary, Jemba Mulondo, said vendors leave their premises due to limited market for their goods.
Mulondo noted that most businesses on the streets are owned by KCC officials or technocrats, saying this will make it difficult to implement the directive.
“Publishing directives and deploying enforcement officers on the streets is a waste of tax payers’ money,†he argued.
Speaking to New Vision yesterday, the deputy spokesperson for KCC, Herbert Ssemakula, advised the vendors to leave the streets, or risk being evicted forcefully.
“We shall use the law to make them vacate the streets,†Ssemakula added. He said street vendors congest the city and sell merchandise in unhygienic areas.
In a notice published in the media, Naluwayiro said the Government had warned them to be security-conscious, arguing that over crowding should be avoided unless prior adequate security arrangements have been made.
Naluwayiro said the vendors took advantage when the council employees went on a sit-down strike last month to break the law, which prohibits street vending.
He said they will deploy a team of 200 law enforcement officers to enforce proper trade order.
Naluwayiro added that the exercise shall remove illegal trade activities carried out on Jinja road from the Electoral Commission offices up to Banda.
STREET venders operating in down town Kampala have vowed not to leave the streets until the Government gets them a permanent area of operation.
This follows a directive from the Kampala City Council (KCC) town clerk, David Naluwayiro, warning vendors to vacate the streets before yesterday.
The affected streets include Namirembe Road, Allen Road, Nakivubo (Nabugabo) Nakivubo Mews, Burton Street, Luwum Street, Nakasero Market area, Market Street and parts of Kampala Road.
However, vendors were still operating their businesses on the above streets yesterday. Some of them said the Government should allocate them a place near the city.
“We occupy the streets because of market availability. Before we leave the streets, we need to be assured of a place that is easily accessible by our customers.
“There is politics in all this. How can you evict one carrying out trade on the streets and leave out the one operating in the middle of the road during evening hours,†said Kiraga Lubega, who deals in new clothes on Nakivubo Mews lamented.
Another vendor, Hadijah Namutebi operating on Namirembe road, said buses and taxis occupy more space than them and she wondered why KCC officials had chosen to harass them.
Swaib Kayima, a vendor at Nakasero Market area, said KCC officials had failed to put garbage containers on the streets for proper disposal of rubbish.
“KCC Officials are interested in levying taxes from us, but there are services offered,†Kayima said.
The Kampala City Traders’ Association security secretary, Jemba Mulondo, said vendors leave their premises due to limited market for their goods.
Mulondo noted that most businesses on the streets are owned by KCC officials or technocrats, saying this will make it difficult to implement the directive.
“Publishing directives and deploying enforcement officers on the streets is a waste of tax payers’ money,†he argued.
Speaking to New Vision yesterday, the deputy spokesperson for KCC, Herbert Ssemakula, advised the vendors to leave the streets, or risk being evicted forcefully.
“We shall use the law to make them vacate the streets,†Ssemakula added. He said street vendors congest the city and sell merchandise in unhygienic areas.
In a notice published in the media, Naluwayiro said the Government had warned them to be security-conscious, arguing that over crowding should be avoided unless prior adequate security arrangements have been made.
Naluwayiro said the vendors took advantage when the council employees went on a sit-down strike last month to break the law, which prohibits street vending.
He said they will deploy a team of 200 law enforcement officers to enforce proper trade order.
Naluwayiro added that the exercise shall remove illegal trade activities carried out on Jinja road from the Electoral Commission offices up to Banda.