Traders in Kampala on Friday reopened their shops, ending a three-day protest over high taxes and increased rent. The strike ended without any deal from the landlords in the city or officials from the government. The Traders from various umbrella groups initiated their protest on Tuesday, shutting down shops across the Central Business District.
They continued to urge the government to take their concerns seriously. The Acting Kampala City Traders Association, Issa Ssekitto noted, “The truth is we haven’t achieved much in this protest, but we have to go back and regroup when we’re stronger, and explore new strategies. We need to find alternative approaches, as our current efforts lacked organization.”
Masanda Herbert Nsubuga, chairperson of the garments section, appealed to traders to reopen their shops, stating it’s futile to continue protesting when the government isn’t willing to listen.
He noted that the government’s heavy-handedness against people fighting for their livelihoods has forced them to suspend the strikes and explore alternative ways to advocate for their businesses.
A three-day protest culminated in the arrest of several traders, amid scenes of teargas and bullets, on Thursday. The protests led to the arrest of Issa Ssekitto, who was later released without any charge. Upon his release, Ssekitto urged protesting traders to reopen shops on Friday.
Suleiman Bukenya, chairperson of traders at Kiyembe Lane, stated that despite efforts to engage with government officials, including Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, their attempts have been unsuccessful. He believes the government is deliberately ignoring their concerns, possibly in collusion with landlords, prioritizing other interests over traders’ welfare.
“We’ve tried to reach out to the government, but they keep dodging us or sending us from one office to another. Meanwhile, police are arresting and beating our people. We’ve decided to reopen shops because landlords still expect rent at the end of the month. We’ll have to explore other options now,” Bukenya said.
Benon Mukibi, a trader at Nabukera Plaza, said the arrest of their leader on Thursday demoralized many, but their key issues remain unresolved, and they’ll regroup and push for action soon.
He noted that the issues affecting them include unfair treatment by landlords, such as exorbitant electricity charges, and high taxes imposed by the Uganda Revenue Authority, particularly the taxation of garments by weight.
Other protesting traders said they want URA to reduce the importing tax rates imposed on their goods from 35% to 25%, as is the case in other East African countries.
The protesting traders are raising concerns beyond high taxes and rents. They’re also urging Uganda Revenue Authority and Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) to address delays in clearing goods at customs, despite tax payments. This reporter’s effort to reach URA’s communications officer, Robert Kalumba, has been unsuccessful, with repeated phone calls going unanswered.
Additional grievances include persistent flooding in the city center, linked to the Nakivubo drainage channel, currently being developed by Ham Kiggundu, which traders claim worsens flooding in Kampala.
***URN***