Kampala’s street vendors insist that unless KCCA finds a suitable place for them, they will never vacate the streets.
Kampala Capital City Authority enforcement officers have been seen on many occasions in running battles with street vendors who sell their merchandise on different streets in the city.
Last year, Kampala Capital City Authority Councilors gazetted some city roads to enable street vendors operate during evening hours. Some of these roads were Nakivubo Mews, Nakivubo Road, Allen Road and Kafumbe Mukasa Road.
This was however opposed by the minister for Kampala Hon. Betty Namisango Kamya as KCCA law enforcement officers were joined by police to sweep vendors off the streets.
Nambavu Charles the area chairperson of Owino View village where most of these vendors operate says KCCA needs to gazette an area which is accessible and price friendly in terms of rent to help street vendors vacate the streets.
According to Nambavu, most of the markets gazetted by KCCA like USAFI have rent fees that are too high.
But KCCA says it won’t stop chasing street vendors off Kampala streets until they accept to work in the gazetted areas put for them to sell their merchandise.
Peter Kaujju the KCCA publicist says the authority has come up with initiatives to ensure that there are alternative places to cater for people who have been operating on streets.
According to Kaujju, the biggest challenge they face is that most vendors don’t want to work in regulated places because they want to make quick sales.
He also dismissed allegations that the gazetted markets for these vendors are expensive in terms of rent as he explains.
Kaujju denied claims that KCCA collects tax from these street vendors and also those who sell petty goods saying this is not true.
Meanwhile, the four KCCA law enforcement officers (assistants) who allegedly chased a street vendor and caused her to drown in Nakivubo channel will re-appear in court today for mention of their case.
On the 10th of this month they were charged before Nakawa chief magistrate’s court with manslaughter. They appeared before Chief Magistrate Lillian Buchana and denied to have unlawfully caused the death of Oliver Basemera on the 4th August 2017.
The accused are Tito Kagiri, Eria Wasswa, Moses Tebyasa and Faruk Mpiima.
They were ordered to deposit a cash bail of 500, 000 shillings each whereas their sureties each signed a Shs3 million bond to ensure that they return to court today.
