By Shakirah Kukundakwe
KAMPALA — Long before dawn breaks over Kampala, hundreds of women are already peeling vegetables, lighting charcoal stoves, cooking meals and packing food destined for taxi parks, markets and busy streets across the city.
By the time most residents begin their day, these women have already spent hours preparing affordable breakfasts and lunches for drivers, traders, boda boda riders, shopkeepers and office workers.
Yet behind every plate they serve is a story of resilience, sacrifice and survival.
For many, a single day without work means being unable to pay rent, buy food, settle school fees or afford medication for their families.
Thirty-four-year-old Hajjarah knows that reality all too well.
After her husband suffered severe leg injuries that left him unable to work, she became the family's sole breadwinner, earning a living by selling food in Kampala's taxi parks and markets.
Her experience mirrors that of many women who have turned to informal food vending out of necessity rather than choice.
Brenda Ainembabazi, a mother of four, says she entered the business after the father of her children abandoned the family.
Although the work enables her to earn an income, she says the money is often insufficient to meet the household's basic needs.
"The money we make is never enough to look after our families. Sometimes life becomes so difficult that women are forced into desperate choices just to survive," Ainembabazi said.
For 18-year-old Namata Eunice, the challenges go beyond earning an income.
She says she regularly faces arrests during city enforcement operations, loses money to customers who leave without paying for meals and risks salary deductions whenever food goes missing.
Business owners say they too are struggling to keep their enterprises afloat.
Nnalongo, a 45-year-old hotel owner, says she pays vendors according to the number of plates they sell each day while bearing the financial burden when customers fail to pay.
To reduce harassment and make workers easier to identify, she requires vendors to wear uniforms while selling food on the streets.
Another hotel owner, Ayebare Agnes, says the business environment has become increasingly difficult.
She attributes the challenges to enforcement operations targeting roadside vending, dishonest customers and frequent staff turnover, circumstances that have forced her to leave the kitchen and join employees on the streets to sell food herself.
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), however, maintains that its enforcement operations are aimed at protecting public health and ensuring order within the city.
KCCA spokesperson Daniel Nuwabiine said all street food vendors must comply with existing public health and trade regulations.
"Street food vending must comply with the Public Health Act and the Trade Act to protect public health, maintain order and ensure food safety," Nuwabiine said.
Despite the daily hardships, Kampala's food vendors continue to provide affordable meals that sustain thousands of people who depend on informal eateries every day.
Their stories illustrate the broader challenges facing workers in Uganda's informal economy, where many operate with limited social protection while carrying the responsibility of supporting entire families.
As the cost of living continues to rise, many vendors say they hope for policies that improve their working conditions, protect their livelihoods and recognise the critical role they play in feeding the city.
