Africa-Press – Uganda. Traders operating in Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) markets are calling on the city authority to fully enforce its directive removing street vendors from major roads and walkways, arguing that inconsistent enforcement has weakened business within designated market spaces.
The appeal comes just a day before KCCA’s enforcement deadline takes effect. Officials have reiterated their commitment to clearing street vendors, noting that roughly 30,000 registered traders operate within KCCA-managed markets, yet many stalls remain vacant as vendors opt to sell along busy streets where foot traffic is higher.
A recent inspection of markets — including Usafi Market, Busega Market, and Kamwokya Market — revealed rows of empty stalls, some covered in dust and cobwebs.
At Usafi Market, traders were observed operating outside the premises despite more than 1,000 vacant stalls inside.
Busega Market, which spans approximately three acres, also had around 500 unoccupied stalls. Traders remaining inside the markets reported low customer turnout, citing competition from street vendors along nearby roads.
“If the directive is strictly enforced and sustained, customers will have no option but to return to the markets,” one trader said during the inspection.
Last weekend, Kampala Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki warned that the authority would implement the directive without exception and would not tolerate noncompliance.
KCCA currently manages 17 markets with about 2,520 available stalls, many of which have already been allocated to traders, including those from neighboring districts in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.
In preparation for enforcement, officials have intensified inspections to assess occupancy levels and readiness for street vendor relocation.
However, some traders, particularly in Busega Market, caution that enforcement alone will not solve the problem. They point to poor access roads and inadequate pathways leading into markets, which make it difficult to attract customers.
“Removing street vendors is not enough if customers cannot easily access the markets,” one trader said, urging KCCA to improve infrastructure around trading centers.
Market supervisor Moses Musiimire said the authority has sufficient capacity to accommodate all vendors and encouraged them to register formally through designated KCCA offices. He added that any trader who abandons a stall for more than three months risks losing it, as KCCA is legally allowed to reallocate such spaces.
At Kamwokya Market, Musiimire noted there are about 250 stalls outside and 37 inside that are ready for allocation to street vendors willing to relocate.
As the deadline approaches, the coming days will test KCCA’s resolve to sustain enforcement and restore order within the city’s trading corridors.
For compliant market traders, consistent implementation of the directive offers hope for improved customer flow and revitalized activity within officially designated market spaces.
