All dormant stalls and lock-ups
in public markets across Kampala will be reallocated to persons in search of
working space, the Minister in Charge of Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs Minsa
Kabanda has said.
The pronouncement was made after an
assessment on the status and availability of working space in public markets as
the authority intensified operations against street vending. During the exercise,
on Saturday, the minister learnt there are over 100 lockups that have been
under lock and key for more than seven years, while some have been turned into
stores.
According to the Wandegeya Market
Chairperson Mayi Nabukenya, the dormant lockups were allocated to different
people by the former market leadership with the consent of some
officials from KCCA. As a result, she says, the 1200 capacity market has over
100 lockups closed, yet the owner’s unknown.
She earlier told URN that several
lockups have been turned into stores while others allocated to ‘ghost owners’
only known to the former Market administrators, and all attempts to rescue them
as well as other dormant spaces have failed to yield results.
Nabukenya accused the Acting Director
of Gender, Community Services and Production Dr Esau Galukande of frustrating people
who were seeking working space in the market, in favor of a few individuals.
//Cue in; “Nga basement eno…
Cue out…abasuubuzi basanyufu.”//
But Dr Galukande said that before
the Wandegeya modern market was redeveloped, the area had four markets where vendors
possessed multiple stalls. He said that upon redevelopment, THE government signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with vendors allowing them to hold the same number of stalls they
possessed before the redevelopment of the market for ten years.
//Cue in; “Akatale kano …
Cue out…akatale gye kaava.”//
Kabanda said
that KCCA will work with the market leaders to identify the dormant work spaces
and re-allocate them to vendors including those coming from the streets.
//Cue in; “Tubirabye tugenda
kuddayo…
Cue out…wano betujje kunguudo.”//
The Minister and her team also visited
Nakasero market where they were led on a guided tour by the market officials
and found that the market was filled to capacity after allocating space to more
than 100 former street vendors. Usafi, known as the streets vendors and hawkers
market had also welcomed over 100 vendors since the street evictions intensified.
The Executive Director of KCCA
Dorothy Kisaka upon concluding the tour urged street vendors to get off the
streets and conduct their activities in the markets. She says Kampala needs to
transform into a smart city.
