By George Bukenya
Street Vendors who are back on Kampala Streets have made the down Town to get congested and un tidy because of the as well as increasing on the volumes of garbage that is generated every day in the City Centre.
They are selling different merchandise such as raw food staffs fruits, clothes and foot wear especially for ladies and children. The down town is normally these days very busy during early morning hours, early and late in the evening and one may think that they were allowed back on streets by KCCA because they operate freely without any anxiety or nervousness for fear of the Authorities enforcement officers arresting them.
The flowers and trees that were planted for instance on Luwumu ,Namirembe and other roads have been destroyed as vendors display their merchandise in any way they want without regarding the green beauty that is planned in the City Centre.
Ssaali Godfrey who talked to our reporter said that they have made a deal with the KCCA law enforcement officers and they charge they some fee to allow them operate freely although he declined to mention the amount they pay per day and who collects it.
In the evening hours and very early in the morning the streets are untidy filled with garbage especially around Kikuubo, new taxi park and Kafumbe Mukasa road this has posed a challenge to the pedestrians walking along these streets as vendors spread the merchandize anyhow.
Traders in shops however decry for KCCA abandoning its duty of ensuring trade order in the city, they also say that they pay for trade licenses and taxes but government because of politics have neglected removing street vendors one and for all.
Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) Chairman Dr. Nagenda Musoke says that they have written to the Authority’s Executive Director informing her about the challenge and she has not acted as expected.
“Our members are paying license fees to the authority besides taxes to Uganda Revenue authority now when we have vendors on streets they do to operate their businesses well because some of these vendors sell similar products.’’ Dr. Nagenda said.
He also said they are planning to mobilize members to chase them away from streets if KCCA has failed to fulfil its mandate.
The Deputy Executive Director of KCCA, Eng. David Luyimbazi said that KCCA has embarked on sensitization of these vendors such as a way of encouraging them to appreciate trade order and the beauty of having the smart city.
Eng. Luyimbazi said that after the elapse of this period of sensitization they order KCCA enforcement team with help of police to resume vigorous patrolling of streets to ensure that there no more street vending.
The Deputy Speaker of KCCA council Nasuru Masaba said that the challenge with street vendors is caused by lack of the necessary ordinance to regulate them.
“As council we have always advocated for gazzeting of some roads for vendors to operate from and be given permission by the authority through provision of license but this hasn’t been done. Even the Sunday weekly bazar was scraped.’’ Masaba said.
He also said that this has accelerated high level of unemployment thus causing the crime rate to increase in the city especially robbery and phone snacking.