A new and better reinvention of the hawking and vending business community is brewing. The Leadership of the 46 Associations that form the Federation of Kampala Hawkers and vendors Association has been working hard behind the scenes in the bid to develop methods of work that would match the desired standard set by KCCA in line with the new SMART CITY business approach. Upon an earlier operation in January, directed by the RDC and Ministers of Kampala to rid the City streets of hawkers and vendors, the Leadership of the Kampala Hawkers and vendors sought an appointment to engage the KCCA Executive Director, with a view to chart out minimum standards of operation to enable the Hawkers and Vendors ilk a living in Kampala.
The Executive Director, Dorothy Kisaka granted their request and on 18th February, she met the leaders of the Hawkers and Vendors led by Mr. Richard Lubega and heard them out. The long and short of the meeting was that the Leaders of the Hawkers and Vendors would go back and discuss with their constituents and return with proposals of how they would work without disrupting the trade order in the City. Along the way, several consultations were held between the leaders of the hawkers with the ED.
On the 19th July 2020 the hawkers and vendors leaders and selected Division Executive members from all the five divisions of Kampala were represented. The ED gladly came along with core leaders of her Technical team at KCCA to again listen to the Vendors. The Vendors presented their plans and preparedness to resume trade if and when the leadership of KCCA would agree with their plans. Mr. Lubega requested that the hawkers and vendors be allowed to operate in the KCCA managed Taxi Parks; the Old, New and USAFI Taxi park, that they proposed a two shifts operation due to the large numbers. They further said each of their members to wear clearly numbered clean overcoats, with a name tag. They reiterated their full support of the Executive Director’s led SMART CITY business approach customized as code named ‘Smart Hawking program’ in line with the organization of trade order which is the core role of the Executive Director and the Technical Team she leads.
A cordial meeting indeed this was! Kisaka on her part explained that the KCCA plan for the City is for all people; the rich and the poor and does not intend to have a city for an exclusive group of the rich as has been traded by some sections of the public.
Although there was no commitment to allow the hawkers to return to the Streets yet, the ED was categorical on the importance orderly trade in the City. Going forward the hawkers were advised to align themselves to doing business in an orderly manner, without stampeding on the rights and the spaces of other traders and road users as the case was in the past! The ED informed the hawkers and Vendors that there was commitment by Government at the highest level to purchase land for open markets in each division of Kampala where the hawkers and Vendors would be relocated. The ED further told the hawkers and Vendor and that as the Technical team would go back and look through their proposals as they waited for the Authority Council to develop an Ordinance ( a piece of Regulation) by which Hawking and Vending would be regulated.
Thankfully, a plan to acquire land, an initiative of the leaders of Hawkers and vendors in collaboration with Micro Finance support Center yielded results and Land was aquired in Kawempe division. A ground breaking occasion officiated by the ED and the Division Mayor Emmanuel Serunjoji was held on the 20th July and work to prepare the open market is expected to be ready for use and the launch is expected on 30th August 2020.
The Hawkers and vendors have made a plea they are involved in the choice of land in subsequent acquisitions in other Divisions of Kampala. This to avoid a repeat of earlier choices of land like USAFI market and Taxi Park that the users found rather unsuitable. The hawkers and vendors have identified land in Kibuye for a joint Market for Lubaga and Makindye estimated at a cost of 6.7 Million, Nakawa, Central Division and a multipurpose land along Salaama Road at 17 Billion for a Skilling Center for Hawkers, vendors and t any other vulnerable persons. If all goes as planned, we expect to see a total change in the trade that has ruled the streets of Kampala for over 60 years.
Under the great consultative leadership of Dorothy Kisaka maybe Kampala will see a new dawn.
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