Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has asked for assistance from the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) soldiers to help it drive vendors off the city streets.
Two weeks ago, KCCA intensified operations to evict vendors and hawkers from the streets. Its law enforcement teams were being assisted by a group of youth donning reflector jackets labeled ‘Smart City’.
However, in the process, the eviction teams have been accused of brutalizing the vendors and yet they are guarded by security personnel from the Field Force Units and Police.
In retaliation, the vendors a few days ago attacked and the KCCA enforcement team members demanding for their confiscated merchandise. The confrontations led to bodly injuries on some members from the former and latter camps.
The development led to an amicable and mutual agreement between the vendors and the city authority.
Several meetings were held and both parties came to an agreement in which vendors were given a grace period of one week to shift peacefully from the streets to their designated places such as Usafi, St. Balikuddembe and Wandegeya markets.
The grace period ended on Monday.However, according to the Minister of State for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Christopher Kabuye Kyofatogabye, vendors have deliberately ignored the grace period which was given to them and they have continued to sell their merchandise on the streets of Kampala and they are violently attacking the authority’s enforcers.
Kabuye now says they have decided to involve the army since the vendors’ ultimatum period is over and it’s now time to use force to evict them off Kampala streets.
“Peaceful days where we came on the table and negotiated are over, their colleagues whp left the street peacefully are now in those gazetted places. Therefore, for those who are still stubborn, we are going to deal with them. It seems they don’t want peaceful negotiations because we discussed with their leaders and they know what to do. However, I want to warm those still on the streets that Kitalya prison is still empty, we shall discipline you by sending you there, after all, the season is beginning, they will help in ploughing food,”Kabuye said.
However, one of the leaders of vendors in Kampala, Ismail Mubiru has asked the minister and KCCA not to use forceful means without listening to their arguments.
He alludes that, the market places where KCCA is telling them to go are full to capacity and to get a space is too expensive compared to their income flows as street vendors.
After declaring vendors unwanted on the streets of Kampala a few years ago, KCCA has been using different methods including criminal prosecutions, confiscation of goods, harassment, specifying streets for them to sell goods on Sundays, and redeveloping/buying markets.
Nevertheless, all these efforts aimed at removing vendors from the streets have yielded limited success due to corruption and uncoordinated leadership within the authority (the political wing and the technocrats).
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