Rwimi Town Council in Bunyangabu district has started the demolition of several structures illegally constructed in road reserves along the busy Kasese-Fort Portal Highway. The move, according to the council, is to enforce national urban planning standards.
The authorities have also cleared the roadsides of informal businesses, including chapati stalls, meat-roasting points, and mobile kiosks and containers. Kule Yosia, the Physical Planner for Rwimi Town Council, states that the removal of kiosks and containers from the streets is a critical step in reclaiming the town’s organized layout.
He said that taxis and buses are now prohibited from loading or unloading passengers along the highway; instead. Kule advised that all public transport vehicles must operate exclusively within the designated taxi parks. The town council has created a new location that has been paved behind the main market, specifically designed to house stalls and provide a centralized trading environment for the displaced street vendors.
Francis Tumuhimbise, the secretary for works, planning, and administration, says the move is meant to return sanity in the developing town. The Town Clerk of Rwimi Town Council, James Mpanga, appealed to the community for cooperation, urging residents to voluntarily demolish any remaining unlawful structures to avoid further forceful interventions.
However, some of the affected traders expressed frustration, citing significant financial losses during the transition. Rose Kamuli fears that the new location behind the market is too hidden from the main road. She fears that the sales will reduce because customers are unlikely to divert from the highway to find them.
Sadik Mawulid, the chairperson of street vendors in Rwimi, suggests that before future developments are made, town council authorities should sit down with all key stakeholders to guide on these developments. URN