Nakasero Market vendors have sued Kampala Capital City Authority over what they call heavy security deployments which deny them access to their offices and also frustrate development strategies of the Market.
The vendors want the High Court in Kampala to issue restraining orders against KCCA and its legal Affairs director Mike Okua to stop interfering with their plans to manage and collect revenues for market developments. They also want court to declare that they are in full possession and management of the Market.
Through their umbrella association, Nakasero Market sitting vendors and traders Limited, they claim they were authorized by the then KCC contracts’ committee to sublease Nakasero Market to which effect they paid 12 billion shillings in addition to paying a monthly fee of 24 million shillings as rent fees to KCCA.
However, to their dismay, they claim to have received a letter dated April 12, 2012 from KCCA directing them to stop revenue collections from the market as their lease had expired in 2010 and were in arrears of over 260 billion shillings. KCCA reportedly demanded them to pay the money in less than 2 weeks.
According to their director, Edward Buteera, the vendors say they are local investors who need equal protection of the law just like any other investor because they also have plans to develop Nakasero Market into a multi-billion plaza.
Buteera added that it was unjust for KCCA to forcefully try taking over the market functions under the command of the Kampala Metropolitan commander Andrew Kaweesi on Tuesday last week.
Justice Benjamin Kabiito is yet to hear them out.
