Africa-Press – Uganda. National Resistance Movement (NRM) Secretary General Richard Todwong has pledged to support over 2,000 urban vendors struggling under the weight of exploitative moneylenders and aggressive enforcement by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).
Speaking during a meeting with vendor representatives at the party’s headquarters in Kampala, Todwong said many street vendors are trapped in endless cycles of debt due to high-interest borrowing and unstable working conditions.
“From the look of things, they are really suffering,” he said.
“You find someone borrowing 20,000 shillings and paying it back at a 20% interest rate. They will never grow because they’re just working to pay moneylenders.”
Todwong outlined a plan to organize the vendors into groups and associations to enable them to access government financial initiatives such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, and the GROW project under the Ministry of Gender.
“Many of them have not even heard about such programs,” he noted. “So part of the sensitization we’re doing is mobilizing them and forming them into associations to help them escape the grip of moneylenders.”
At least 2,000 vendors have already been registered, with more expected to follow.
Todwong also responded to vendors’ complaints about harassment from KCCA enforcement officers, particularly the confiscation of goods during street evictions.
“When KCCA officers come to evict them, they grab all their capital and go away with it,” he said. “That generates bitterness. They wish for an alternative place to operate, but instead, they’re pushed into the hands of moneylenders.”
He added that losing merchandise during crackdowns prevents vendors from repaying loans, triggering further hardship.
“Moneylenders then come to seize household items like saucepans and chairs. It’s humiliating and cruel.”
He noted that a large proportion of the affected vendors are single mothers who need immediate support.
“We cannot now start discussing where their husbands are. What matters is how to support them from this point on,” Todwong said.
He also addressed recent violence reported during President Museveni’s nomination process, condemning the actions and blaming rival political groups.
“Investigations confirmed that many of the youths who caused chaos were not NRM members. They were infiltrators dressed in NRM T-shirts, and some have already confessed,” he said.
Todwong warned NRM candidates against engaging in voter bribery, violence, or disregarding party structures during internal campaigns.
“They should avoid using excessive money to buy votes. Some have been warned already. If they persist, we shall take disciplinary action under the party constitution,” he said.
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