Government has directed that the enforcement of trade order in Kampala continues without interruption, dismissing earlier claims of a suspension and warning against any return to illegal street vending.
In a statement, the Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Minsa Kabanda, said Cabinet had resolved to maintain the crackdown, describing it as essential to preserving gains made over the past two months.
“Cabinet pronounced that Trade Order is nonnegotiable,” Kabanda said, following a special discussion on the matter on April 27.
The clarification comes after remarks made in Parliament by David Bahati on April 24 suggesting that the enforcement had been halted, triggering uncertainty among traders and the public.
Kabanda said the confusion threatened to reverse progress achieved since February, when the Kampala Capital City Authority launched operations to decongest the Central Business District and reorganize trade.
“Kampala is the Capital City of Uganda and the face of our nation. The standards we set here must reflect order, discipline, and structured economic activity,” she said.
She directed KCCA to sustain enforcement operations and ensure all gains are “firmly maintained and protected,” while urging enforcement teams to act professionally and within the law.
Under the renewed directive, traders have been ordered to operate strictly within gazetted markets, arcades and designated trading areas, with authorities warning that illegal vending, road encroachment and disorderly trade practices will be dealt with decisively.
Kabanda said the enforcement has already delivered “visible and measurable gains,” including reduced congestion, improved sanitation, enhanced public safety and better accessibility of roads and walkways across the city.
According to the minister, major streets in the Central Business District including Luwum Street, Namirembe Road and Nakivubo Road have been cleared and restored to order, with similar progress reported in divisions such as Kawempe, Makindye, Lubaga and Nakawa.
She added that uptake of market spaces has increased, with 1,663 out of 2,520 available workspaces already allocated, while compliance with business licensing has significantly improved.
Between February 19 and April 27, KCCA issued 22,909 new business licences worth sh 5.07 billion, compared to 15,628 licences worth Sh 3.9 billion in the preceding period.
“The progress made so far must not be reversed, otherwise we shall have lost the gains so far achieved with Trade Order,” Kabanda said.
The minister also cited improvements in waste management and drainage, noting that reduced street vending has enhanced storm water flow, particularly along the Nakivubo Channel.
She said the authority is now preparing to extend order enforcement to the public transport sector, including gazetting boda-boda stages and streamlining taxi operations.
Kabanda warned that anyone attempting to disrupt the enforcement exercise “shall be dealt with accordingly,” as the government moves to consolidate order in the capital.