Muluuta Mugagga, the town clerk of Luweero Town council has suspended the eviction of more than 100 roadside vendors following protests against the proposal. Recently, Mugagga issued eviction notices to roadside vendors along the Kampala-Gulu Highway and streets in Luweero town council in order to restore order. He accused the vendors of erecting stalls and kiosks in the road reserve without approval by council, which has affected planning and sanitation.
Mugagga ordered the vendors to vacate the road reserve not later than one week, drawing angry reactions from the roadside vendors and area politicians. As a result, Mugagga has suspended the eviction notice until further notice. He told URN on phone on Saturday that the eviction has been called off to allow for more consultations with various stakeholders.
Issa Higenyi, a chapatti vendor at Kasiso road says the eviction order was unfair because they were not consulted. Higenyi says that he has been working on the roadside for ten years, adding that his Chapati business is the only source of livelihood for his family. He says that evicting them without giving them alternative place to work from indicates that the authorities want him to become a destitute or beggar.
Matilda Nakiwala, a tea vendor says that she was forced on the streets after losing her husband. She explains that she uses the proceeds from her tea business to rent a house and provide for her ten children. Nakiwala vows not to leave the street until the authorities identify a strategic area and relocate them.
She threatens to pitch camp with her family at the town council offices, should the authorities evict then without giving an alternative area of operation. Nakiwala also wonders why the town council authorities collect daily dues from the roadside vendors, yet they don’t recognize their presence. Yusuf Ssonko, a motor spare parts dealer says they resorted to roadside vending after failing to get jobs.
He explains that many of them secured loans from SACCO’s to start small income generating activities to survive, and wonders why government want to force the few self employed youths out of employment. Ssonko says they have nowhere to go and will stage massive protests because it is the only languages the authorities can listen too.
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Charles Ssebyala, the LC 3 chairman Luweero Town council says that they have blocked the eviction of the roadside vendors because the eviction order was issued by the technocrats without consulting all stakeholders.
