The Acting Chairperson of the Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA), Issa Sekito, has welcomed the ongoing eviction of street vendors from Kampala’s central business district (CBD), describing the enforcement as a necessary step toward restoring order and protecting compliant traders.
Speaking at the Uganda Law Society weekly press briefing in Kampala on Thursday, Sekito emphasized that the government has a responsibility to maintain order, security, and accessibility within the city centre.
“We are the traders in the arcades. We are the young people who finished school and were not formally employed but gathered small savings and combined capital to rent a shop together. We are the men and women paying three to four million shillings per month in rent just to operate in an arcade,” he said.
Sekito underscored the financial obligations borne by formal traders operating within the arcades and gazetted markets.
“We are the people paying trading licenses. We are the people paying income tax and presumptive tax. We are the people paying electricity bills, security fees, and garbage collection charges. Every single month, billions of shillings are generated by compliant traders in this city,” he said, adding that sustainable taxation depends on profitability.
“Let us be honest. Taxes are paid from profit, not from capital. If a trader is not making profit, you cannot expect them to continue paying taxes or licenses.”
He added that while traders support government efforts to organize the city, authorities must also ensure adequate infrastructure to accommodate business operations.
“The government’s responsibility is to create infrastructure — roads, markets, organized spaces. It is not to allow disorder in the central business district. Kampala must remain orderly, secure, and accessible,” Sekito said.
Traders operating in markets managed by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) had previously called on the 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.
As KCCA’s enforcement continues, vendors reiterated their commitment to clearing street traders, noting that approximately 30,000 registered traders operate within KCCA-managed markets. However, 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 significant underutilization of available space.
At Usafi Market, traders were observed operating outside the premises despite more than 1,000 vacant stalls inside, with rows of empty stalls covered in dust and cobwebs.
Busega Market, which spans approximately three acres, also had around 500 unoccupied stalls. Kamwokya Market similarly recorded numerous vacant spaces amid complaints of low customer turnout.
Traders remaining inside the markets reported low customer numbers and stiff competition from street vendors operating along nearby roads as key challenges affecting their businesses.
The enforcement directive, initially announced by Kampala Minister Minsa Kabanda, has been strongly championed by KCCA Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki.
Buzeki has maintained that the authority is committed to restoring order in the capital’s trade environment, adding that the directive targets vendors operating along major streets and junctions.
KCCA reports that it operates 17 public markets, with an additional 69 privately owned markets.
However, critics argue that several of these facilities lack proper planning, affordability, and accessibility for low-income traders, factors that have contributed to the persistence of street vending.