DETAILS: What Museveni discussed with senior government officials, KCCA leaders over city markets

H.E. the President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni recently met officials led by the Rt. Hon Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja to State House Entebbe for a follow-up meeting to discuss about the Kampala city markets.

Upon submission on the outcome of several meetings that were chaired by the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister, the President guided that KCCA should deal with the Vendors directly without going through a third party.

He noted that the leaders of the vendors had also become exploiters of the vendors they were supposed to represent. That they had turned their leadership positions into offices from where they earn a living.

The President narrated that some time back, during his interaction with members of a Co-operative Society, he had heard similar complainants where the leaders exploit the members.

The President further guided that: –

a) KCCA should take over administration of all the government markets in the City;

b) No vendor should occupy more than one stall;

c) The meeting should Agree on who would be responsible for utilities.

d) There should be a reasonable Mpooza the Vendors should pay for the stalls and lock-ups;

e) Their meeting should agree on what should be charged on items entering the market.
Upon further discussions, the following were agreed upon: –

a) The Vendors should pay to KCCA a reasonable periodic fee (either monthly or annually for the stalls/Lock-ups they occupy);

b) There should be empooza on items entering the market at a fee to be agreed upon. This empooza will be paid by the traders who bring merchandize to sell to the Vendors. The vendors will not be charged empooza on the items they have bought from the traders;

c) Utilities like Power and Water will be paid for by the Vendors themselves. It was agreed that Umeme should be requested to provide Yaka meters to the users of electricity. It was also noted that NWSC was already providing pre-paid meters where the vendors pay for the water they use;

d) KCCA will take over the responsibility of garbage collection, maintaining and cleaning toilets using the funds the vendors will be paying for the stall/lock-ups;

e) On the distribution of the workspaces, the existing vendors in the government markets will be given priority on the basis of one Vendor per Stall.

f) On Lock-ups, it was noted that the practice was that one Lock-up was being operated by more than one person. It was agreed that if a lock-up is being run by more than one person, all the operators in the said lock-up will be considered as a group. They will jointly pay for the periodic rent of the Lock-up.

g) On Kiseka Market, after noting that KCCA was putting slabs on the floor, it was agreed that the Vendors who were operating in Kiseka Market should be the ones allowed to use the place after the works were completed;

h) For the vendors who were operating on the Streets, it was agreed that KCCA finds them open grounds where they can operate from temporarily;

i) On the Vendors having their own committees, it was agreed that such committees should not be involved in administration of markets as that was going to be undertaken by KCCA appointed Staff. The Vendors’ Committees could be responsible for government programmes like SACCOs, Emyooga etc.

Mr. Museveni further guided that KCCA should plan for at least two markets in each of the 5 Divisions of Kampala, and one Skilling Centre per Division.

On assenting to the Market Bill, it was noted that there were some clauses that creates partnership between KCCA and the Vendors in the running of the Markets.

The President guided that the said bill should be returned to Parliament so that it is harmonized with what had been agreed upon in the meeting on the markets.

In her submission, The Hon. Minister for Kampala, Hon. Hajjat Minsa Kabanda reported that a Cabinet Paper incorporating some of the issues that had been agreed upon at the meeting had been prepared and was due for discussion at the next Cabinet meeting on 21st November, 2022.

The meeting was also attended by the Hon. State Minister for KCCA Affairs, the Executive Director, KCCA, the RCC Kampala City, the Mayor Kampala Central and Mobilisers from the Markets.