Overview:
Another vendor, Annet Namusisi, said much of her merchandise had been confiscated during the operation. She appealed to KCCA to return her goods so she can resume trading elsewhere, explaining that she has been left without capital to restart her business.
The Kampala Capital City Authority(KCCA) has successful evicted all street vendors in the city making the streets walkable.
Addressing journalists at the government-owned Media Centre on Thursday the State Minister for Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs, Kabuye Kyofatogabye, announced that the eviction would begin at midnight. He urged vendors to vacate voluntarily before the deadline, warning that anyone found selling on the streets after the cut-off time would be arrested and charged.
The operation, which commenced shortly after midnight, targeted several busy areas including the Old Taxi Park, Mini Price, Kisekka Market and other parts of the central business district.
Makeshift stalls were dismantled and merchandise cleared as enforcement teams moved through the city.
KCCA enforcement officers, backed by police and the military, also removed barricades and fencing around some police posts, including those at Mini Price and on Nakivubo Road opposite Jesco Building.
By Friday morning, streets that had long been congested were noticeably clearer. Pedestrians could walk freely from Mutaasa Kafeero Plaza to Namirembe Road in just a few minutes a journey that previously took much longer due to overcrowding.
Twaha Kimbugwe, spokesperson for Seven Hills, the city cleaning contractor, said teams had immediately begun cleaning areas previously occupied by vendors. He noted that cleaners encountered significant garbage buildup, including clogged drainage channels.
Kimbugwe added that in some hard-to-reach areas, vendors had reportedly been disposing of waste and urine in unsanitary ways, complicating the clean-up exercise.The eviction has drawn mixed reactions from the business community and affected vendors.
Badru Mugisha, a trader operating in the city, welcomed the move. He argued that shop owners had been struggling to compete with street vendors selling similar goods at lower prices because they do not pay rent or taxes.
Mugisha also alleged that some stolen items were being resold through street vending, suggesting that the eviction could help curb theft.However, several vendors expressed concern about their livelihoods.
Flavia Kyomuhendo said there is inadequate space in the markets KCCA has directed them to relocate to. While acknowledging the need for order in the city, she argued that authorities should first improve market infrastructure, noting that some facilities leak during rain.
Another vendor, Annet Namusisi, said much of her merchandise had been confiscated during the operation. She appealed to KCCA to return her goods so she can resume trading elsewhere, explaining that she has been left without capital to restart her business.
In Kikuubo trading area, some traders who typically display goods on the streets kept their merchandise covered in tarpaulins, opting to operate from inside their shops amid a heavy security presence.
Food vendors who previously served early-morning customers along the streets of Kisekka Market were also removed.
Security patrols by police and the army remained visible across the central business district throughout the day to ensure compliance with the directive.
This marks the second major eviction of street vendors by KCCA in recent years, following a similar enforcement drive during the tenure of former Executive Director Jennifer Musisi.
The current exercise is being implemented under Executive Director Hajjat Sharifah Buzeki as the authority renews its push to streamline trade and restore order in the city.
Authorities have also removed all ungazetted Boda Boda taxi stages.
Hajji Rashid Ssekindi, chairman of the Federation of Uganda Taxi Operators (UTOF), has welcomed the operations, saying that the congestion in the city center makes manoeuvring difficult for anyone.
He said that KCCA should maintain the tempo instead of conducting operations for just two weeks and stopping, which would only prompt vendors to return.
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