Kacita wants law on city vending
Nov 18, 2008
Kampala city traders have asked the Government to enact a law against illegal street vendors. Issa Ssekitto, the Kampala City Traders Association (Kacita) spokesperson, said many of the street traders operating within the city centre do not have licences.
By Jeff Lule
Kampala city traders have asked the Government to enact a law against illegal street vendors. Issa Ssekitto, the Kampala City Traders Association (Kacita) spokesperson, said many of the street traders operating within the city centre do not have licences.
“These people have had a negative effect on businesses in the main shops because they sell their merchandise cheaply since they do not pay taxes,†he said in an interview.
“We need a law to guide their operations, especially those using mobile street vans found at almost every point in the city,†he said.
Ssekitto said Kampala has over 1,000 unregistered street vendors. “Letting them operate freely as they are doing now is being unfair to those who pay licence fees and other taxes.
“This also affects the economy negatively,†he added. The conflict between shop- owners and street vendors has gone on unsolved for years.
Last week, traders inside St. Balikuddembe (Owino) Market clashed with those who were vending from outside the market.
The latter were accused of ‘taking’ the market traders’ customers because they were selling their products cheaply since they were paying little or no taxes.
Ssekitto said it is only when a law to regulate vending has been instituted that sanity would return to the city.
“The city will be organised, decongested and the Government will get more revenue,†he said. Ssekitto said many of the street traders operating from vans claim to be security agents.
He also asked the environment health officers in Kampala City Council (KCC) to ensure that vans used as kiosks along the streets meet safety standards.
“We fear there might be an outbreak of epidemics as a result of poor health, but we have never seen health officials monitoring these vehicles.â€
“As they monitor restuarants the same supervision should be carried out on these vans since they also sell edibles,†he said.
Kampala city traders have asked the Government to enact a law against illegal street vendors. Issa Ssekitto, the Kampala City Traders Association (Kacita) spokesperson, said many of the street traders operating within the city centre do not have licences.
“These people have had a negative effect on businesses in the main shops because they sell their merchandise cheaply since they do not pay taxes,†he said in an interview.
“We need a law to guide their operations, especially those using mobile street vans found at almost every point in the city,†he said.
Ssekitto said Kampala has over 1,000 unregistered street vendors. “Letting them operate freely as they are doing now is being unfair to those who pay licence fees and other taxes.
“This also affects the economy negatively,†he added. The conflict between shop- owners and street vendors has gone on unsolved for years.
Last week, traders inside St. Balikuddembe (Owino) Market clashed with those who were vending from outside the market.
The latter were accused of ‘taking’ the market traders’ customers because they were selling their products cheaply since they were paying little or no taxes.
Ssekitto said it is only when a law to regulate vending has been instituted that sanity would return to the city.
“The city will be organised, decongested and the Government will get more revenue,†he said. Ssekitto said many of the street traders operating from vans claim to be security agents.
He also asked the environment health officers in Kampala City Council (KCC) to ensure that vans used as kiosks along the streets meet safety standards.
“We fear there might be an outbreak of epidemics as a result of poor health, but we have never seen health officials monitoring these vehicles.â€
“As they monitor restuarants the same supervision should be carried out on these vans since they also sell edibles,†he said.