Sudhir's tenants protest paying rent in dollars

By Lawrence Mulondo & Robert Mwesigye

Over 100 traders renting on Sudir Rupareria’s shopping mall on Market Street, on Monday morning took to the streets protesting paying their monthly rent charges in US dollars.

The traders closed their shops and held placards, reading, "we are not in the US, why pay in dollars", while other placards read "the higher the dollar, the higher our rent" as they walked peacefully along Market Street.

Central Police Station boss Frantile Lwamusayi tried to calm the traders in vain and ordered the arrest of five people who he said were ring leaders.

Riled traders in a verbal exchange during a protest against rental charges in dollars

Traders said that after their landlord increased rent fees in previous years, they decided to share shops in numbers of ten to fifteen people in order to cope.

Traders who were paying sh18m per month are now paying sh20m due to the high dollar rate.

“We are fed up of a landlord who charges us in dollars. The government should intervene in the matter or else we will be forced to close down business and find other things to do, “one of the traders said.

Shops remained closed as traders protested rent in dollars

They said that they have been trying to speak to their landlord but he seems not to be interested in listening to their views.

"We have invited Sudir on several occasions to discuss the matter of paying his rent in dollars but he has never showed up,” Margret Nankya, an electronics dealer, said.

A woman points at a placard hanging on a closed shop protesting rent charges in dollars.

Nankya alleged that Sudir doesn’t reduce the rent charges even when the dollar rates go down.

Allan Mukwaya, another trader on the building, said that he was contributing sh500,000 to the monthly rent he pays with colleagues and added that he is afraid that the amount is going to increase due to high dollar rate.

Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango confirmed the arrest of the five men who were caught participating in the strike.

Onyango said that police was going to charge the suspects with inciting violence.

Traders' concerns

The dollar as of today was trading at 3230/3280. This means for a trader to pay rent, he has to exchange more local currency to buy dollars and pay rent.

The dollar has been rapidly appreciating against the shilling since beginning of the year.