The Deputy Director Physical planning at Kampala Capital City Authority, George Agaba has been given one week to find where to resettle the recently evicted street vendors.
The resolution was reached at a special Authority and councilors meeting chaired by the Lord Mayor Elias Lukwago on Wednesday.
The meeting discussed whether street vending is legal as per the Trade order ordinance that stipulates that street vending is legal only for those with permits at gazetted places.
The councilors noted that criminalizing street vending will not solve the problem but the authority should consider amending the Trade Act ordinance to regulate it.
The Makindye East LCV councilor, Elijah Kyetunda said the challenge in Kampala is that most markets are not owned by the authority but individuals. He cited Kisugu, Namwongo and Kibuli, which are all individually owned.
The Mayor maintains that the meeting that decided the eviction was illegal since it was not convened by him and there was no communication to the authority.
However, the Resident city commissioner, Alice Muwanguzi who attended the meeting, stated that the eviction was done by the central government on behalf of Uganda and not Kampala.
Councilors argued that there was no communication by the Minister for Kampala, Kabakumba Matsiko apart from her statement that was read in the media.
But Muwanguzi insisted that the central government has the right to impose directives on the authority since they run the administration of the central government.
//Cue in: The central government has…”
Cue out:…show that we are serious.”//
The authority councilors thus resolved in the short term that the physical planning department avail them a calendar for mobile markets so that vendors can be advised on how to continue working and where.
The physical planning department will also establish and identify streets that are to be gazetted for street vending and encourage evening markets from 4:00pm.
They also demand sorting out the different categories of vendors, since it was heard that newspaper vendors and mobile telecommunication vendors have been given special treatment and left to operate on the streets. On Monday this week, Chief Executive officers from the New Vision Robert Kabushenga, the Daily Monitor Newspaper Dr. Githingi Gitahi, the Observer James Tumusiime and their marketing teams met the KCCA executive Director, Jennifer Musisi who gave their vendors a go ahead to sell their products on the street.
Agaba defended the decision saying that the particular organizations had formed associations to legalize their vendors’ stay.
He added that the one week period given to his department is rather small, but considering the emergency of the situation, he will give the authority a feed back on Wednesday next week when council sits again to discuss the same matter.
//Cue in: Initially I had asked…”
Cue out:… to come back on Wednesday.”//
