KCCA to regulate street vendors 

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) will soon start regulating street vendors and hawkers according to the proposed KCCA Regulation of Street Trade Ordinance 2019.

While explaining the ordinance to the traders, Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, told the vendors that the purpose of the ordinance is to provide a legislative framework that will allow orderly hawking and vending on the streets.

Under the proposed ordinance, all vendors and hawkers are expected to register with KCCA, have a special street trading license, identification numbers, uniforms, among other issues. 

KCCAs hope's this will spur an increase in the purchase and sale of goods and allow for greater economic activity that will promote the welfare of Kampala residents.

Lukwago told the traders that the debate on the ordinance with councillors is still going on and once passed, will only be applicable in Kampala.

According to the ordinance, street vendors grade one and two are to pay sh210,000 and sh78,750 respectively, while hawkers grade one and two will pay sh112,500 and sh60,000 for their trading licenses.

The traders will also be required to pay for their uniform at sh50,000. The uniforms will be in different colors depending on divisions where they will be operating.

Kampala Central (green), Nakawa (blue), Kawempe (red), Rubaga (orange) and Makindye (yellow).

The traders said the ordinance has been long overdue.

"We appreciate the law and are willing to abide by the rules and regulation, but they should reduce on the charges," Swibu Tenywa a vendor on Allan Road said.

Leaders' speak out 

MP Betty Nambooze, the Mukono Municipality MP,  said street vending is not only a trend in Kampala, but also other cities like Mexico city where vendors are given particular hours to sell their merchandize.

Sam Gombya, the  Kampala Central deputy mayor, told the traders that although they will be given licenses, they should have particular areas of operation.

"We do not want to see you selling tomatoes at Bank of Uganda," Gombya said.  

Kampala Resident City Commissioner Faridah Mayanja stressed that the move is key towards fighting crime and strengthening security in the city since everyone will be easily identified.

"It will now be easy to identify strangers unlike before where people used to masquerade as traders, yet they are criminals. In this arrangement, every trader will have a number and uniform and it will be easy to trace wrong characters," she said.