Mukono traders want Mayor Kagimu out of office

By Ronald Kalumba

The business community in Mukono have asked councilors to kick Mayor Fred George Kagimu out of office saying that he is serving his political interest instead of the will of people.

In a meeting held at Kavule village found in Mukono central division, Mukono municipality traders said that any political head must be serving the will of the people but not his will.

The traders concern came at a time when municipal authority has served traders with eviction orders especially those who have their businesses on busy road reserves within Mukono municipality.

The served letter warns traders to leave 15 meters from the main roads and those who will be affected include traders in Mukono-Kayunga road, Katosi, Seeta-Goma Namugongo road among others.

The authority says that traders who will be evicted by force will be made to pay a fine and those who have old structures along highways should demolish them or to rehabilitate them if they are still worth to reside in by any human being.

The authority’s resolution forced traders to ensure that Kagimu is kicked out of office through councilors.

According Prossy Nabirye whose business was destroyed in the first phase of eviction says that currently she has nothing to eat not even money to pay for her rent where she resides after the council enforcement officers took all her capital.

Johnson Mulwana also a trader in Mukono municipality says that they will not allow to become slaves in their own country and argued that they are ready to battle it out with mayor Kagimu.

The area member of parliament Betty Nambooze Bakireke who attend this meeting advised traders to first give Kagimu a chance to see whether he will listen to their outcry before the deadline they were given of 31^st August, 2018.

Nambooze asked traders to resist that directive of leaving 15 meters from the major highways until municipal authority demolish buildings of rich people which are also in road reserves.

She explained to them that to evict someone from his or her place of work municipal authority must be having an alternative where that person can settle which is not the case in Mukono.

She however advised traders who have mobile businesses to make sure that they extend behind and also keep their working environment clean so that Kagimu and his enforcement officers get no reason to evict them.

However Kagimu says that he is not regretting of what he is doing in evicting traders and he argues that he will continue with the exercise which is targeting to make Mukono a better municipality in Uganda.