Hawkers given 14 days to remove kiosks, advertisements, from road reserves

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has given hawkers in the city a 14 day  ultimatum to voluntarily remove their outdoor advertisement tools, kiosks, containers and structures from road reserves.

In a statement, the authority noted hawkers’ invasion, construction and placement of temporary structures in the form of outdoor advertisement structures, kiosks and containers along major roads is causing congestion, traffic jams, poor public health and bad aesthetics.

According to the authority, this is not only an eyesore but a safety hazard, calling upon all the hawkers to follow the directive and remove their structures from the road reserves.

Some of these roads include; Old Masaka Road, Wankulukuku Road, Wakaliga Road, Busabala road, Entebbe Road (between Stella stage and Kibuye roundabout), Balintuma road, Masanafu to the Northern Bypass, Hoima Road and around Kasubi Market.

“This is therefore to inform owners of such illegal outdoor advertisement  structures, kiosks and containers erected/placed in road reserves, building or frontages and public spaces, along all major roads in the city to cooperate with the authority,” the statement read in part.

According to KCCA Act 2013, Roads Act 2019 and Sections 2A and 57(c) of the Physical Planning Act, 2020, the authority is mandated to prohibit, restrict or regulate the sale or hawking of wares the erection of stalls on any street, or the use of any part of the street public place for the purpose of carrying on any trade, business profession.

A person who builds on the road reserve as defined in the Roads Act 2019, commits an offence and is liable upon conviction in the courts of law.

The authority warned that failure to comply, it will without further notice, have no option but to embark on the removal of all these illegal structures at the owners' cost, inconvenience and in some cases, prosecution in the courts of law.