Cabinet in final talks on arcades

Cabinet yesterday concluded the debate on the possible re-opening of city arcades to pave way for resumption of business around downtown Kampala.

According to sources, the reopening of the arcades, Cabinet resolved, now lies in the hands of the National Task Force on COVID-19, which is chaired by the Prime Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda.

To fast-track the Cabinet decision on the re-opening of these arcades, New Vision has learnt that a special meeting was summoned, at the Office of the President.

"The decision to re-open city arcades will be reached today in a meeting with tenants, landlords, trade minister Amelia Kyambadde, Kampala minister Betty Amongi, health experts and the national task force on COVID-19," Ibrahim Mbowa, the vice-chairperson of Kampala Arcades Advocacy Forum, told New Vision yesterday.

The inspection of arcades to establish whether they conform with the earlier set standard operating procedures was concluded yesterday.

Sources said Cabinet discussed the matter, and a decision was reached on re-opening the arcades if the national task force on COVID-19, is satisfied that they conform to the procedures outlined by the health inspectors.

At today's meeting at the Office of the President, a health inspection report will be tabled before the national task force for discussion, and a decision on whether to re-open arcades or not, will be communicated to traders and landlords and other stakeholders, who have been invited for the meeting, by trade minister Amelia Kyambadde.

"The Minister of Trade and Industry, together with the Minister for Kampala will brief the committee at 11:00am at the conference hall, Office of the President," an invitation of traders, tenants and landlords by the trade minister for the meeting, noted.

According to the invitation, the agenda for today's meeting will include the tabling of a report from inspection team to guide the re-opening of the arcades and an update from the national task force on COVID-19.

Today's meeting comes after two weeks of joint verification of arcades by a joint committee comprising landlords, tenants, scientists and officials from the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), which was set up to verify the compliance of two pilot arcades, Mutaasa Kafeero and Park View, with the standard operating procedures against COVID-19.

Yesterday, the joint team conducted its final inspection, a move traders say, signifies the possibility of reopening all arcades, not only in Kampala, but across the country.

The health recommendations that

arcades must comply with were set by a team of health experts, led by the presidential advisor on epidemics, Dr Monica Musenero.

"The purpose of this committee was to verify the effectiveness of the pilot project, which will eventually determine the opening of all the

other arcades," Kyambadde said.

Musenero's team has, for the past

two weeks, traversed the city centre

to check on the effectiveness and

compliance of the pilot arcades with

the standard operating procedures

to curb the spread of COVID-19.