Outgoing Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has criticised the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) over its planned enforcement against street vendors, warning that regulation should not translate into eviction and displacement of the urban poor.
Speaking during NBS Morning Breeze on Monday, Lukwago said the authority risks worsening economic hardship for thousands of low-income traders if it proceeds with clearing vendors from city streets without addressing deeper structural challenges.
“Regulation doesn’t necessarily mean eviction, and that’s where KCCA is making a mistake,” he said, referring to the authority’s plan to fully enforce a ban on street vending following the expiry of a two-week grace period on Thursday.
The enforcement, initially announced by Kampala Minister Minsa Kabanda, has been championed by KCCA Executive Director Hajjat Sharifah Buzeki, who maintains that the authority is restoring trade order and will not turn a blind eye after the February 19 deadline.
The directive targets vendors operating along major streets and junctions across the capital.
However, Lukwago argues that the conversation should shift from enforcement to inclusion.
He questioned the adequacy and quality of market infrastructure in the city, saying Kampala has failed to create sufficient dignified trading spaces for small-scale vendors.
“As we speak today, the only modern market in Kampala is in Busega. How do you create spaces for the urban poor when you have only one modern market?” he asked.
Lukwago’s remarks highlight a long-standing debate over the state of public markets in Kampala.
While KCCA says it operates 17 public markets and that 69 others are privately owned, critics argue that many of these facilities lack proper planning, affordability, and accessibility for low-income traders.
By pointing to Busega as the only modern facility, Lukwago underscored what he described as a gap between policy pronouncements and on-the-ground realities.
Beyond street vending, Lukwago also addressed the strained relationship between landlords and tenants in city arcades, describing it as exploitative.
“We have a slave-master relationship between landlords and tenants in arcades, and that’s why people have run away from arcades,” he said.
According to Lukwago, high rent costs and rigid tenancy terms have pushed many small traders out of formal premises and onto the streets, where they seek more flexible and affordable means of survival.
His comments suggest that the proliferation of street vending is not merely a matter of disorder, but a symptom of deeper economic pressures within Kampala’s commercial ecosystem.
While KCCA has cited sanitation concerns, infrastructure damage, and unfair competition as justification for the directive, Lukwago framed the issue as one of social justice and urban inclusion.
He cautioned that a heavy-handed approach — particularly one involving security agencies — could undermine trust and disproportionately affect vulnerable populations who depend on daily sales for survival.
