Last month, the city authorities forcefully kicked hundreds of vendors from the major streets of the city center citing they were illegally operating. Others evicted included roadside bus operators, pickups, and tricycle operators along Gulu-Kampala Highway.
Robert Kalumba, the Deputy KCCA Spokesperson says street vendors have a week to visit markets and get space. He however couldn't tell how many vendors are on the streets and to which specific markets they should go.
Parliament has granted leave to Workers MP Margaret Rwabushaija to introduce the establishment and management of markets bill, 2019 that will allow individuals own and set up markets.
Namugwanya explained that instead, government is trying to create markets to accommodate the street vendors and hawkers to ensure that everyone can operate easily.
Jinja Municipality has suspended operations of evening market that was created as away of resettling evicted street vendors. The market that started on Monday on Jinja main street generated controversy as traders operating from the Jinja Central Market opposed the move.
Charles Lwanga sells wrist watches, belts and sun glasses in the old taxi park. According to Lwanga, he has been operating as a vendor in the old taxi park for last five years, saying they cant seat back because of the evictions yet they have to fend for their families.
Fred Muwoya, the Engineer Mpumude-Kimaka division, says the vendors were given time to register so that they are allocated stalls in Jinja main market or Amber court market.
Merchandise worth millions of Shillings was confiscated and structures demolished as authorities moved to decongest the streets in line with a resolution passed by the district council last month.
Speaking in Kiswahili, Poni says, Constructing the road is not a bad thing. We want the road to be wide and after the construction, this place will look nice. They dont disturb me. When they come with their vehicles they tell me, mum push in front for us to pass.
According to Tumwine, the tax will boost local revenue collections and also help reduce the increasing number of fresh food and meat vendors in the municipality.
According to Ssebyala, he has recorded more than 30 complaints from vendors implicating the law enforcement officers for exhortation and selective prosecution.
Under the new directive, the authority will not only prosecute the vendors. All those who purchase goods from the vendors will also face the same punishment for abetting and aiding street vending.
Nalugya says she cannot leave street vending and get a stall in the market because the 150,000 shillings that she has to pay for rent is much more than she can afford. She says for the four years she has been into street vending she been able to educate her two children and things she would never have been able to do if she went off the streets.
About 150 roadside vendors who were last week evicted from Lira Municipality on the orders of town clerk are back on the streets. The vendors were evicted on Friday during an operation conducted by the law enforcement personnel along Obote Avenue and Noteber road.
Lira Municipal has issued an eviction notice to over 200 vendors and chicken dealers operating in Lira Bus Park to pave way for the reorganization of the park.
Several vendors now use the hide and seek vending style along Kampala road. Some will be seen wrapping their merchandise at the sight of law enforcement personnel from Kampala City Council Authority who have since been patrolling streets.
Vendors have turned the streets of Mbale into an open air market. All major streets in the town are flooded with merchandise, spread across the busy walkways.
