By Kabuye Ronald
Uganda’s President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has given new directives to Kampala Capital City Authority KCCA leadership on the takeover of all the 16 Kampala markets sitting on government land with immediate effect from Thursday.
President Museveni issued the directives on Wednesday in a meeting attended by Prime minister Rt.Hon. Robinah Nabbanja KCCA leadership, Kampala Ministers, Resident City Commissioner, Kampala and the interim market leaders at State house Entebbe.
The 16 markets include: Kiseka, St. Balikuddembe alias Owino, Nakasero, Usafi, Kamwokya, Bukoto, Busega, Kasubi, Nakawa, Bugolobi, Kiswa, Luzira, Kinawataka, Namuwongo1, Namuwongo 2 and Wandegeya.
Other directives given to KCCA according to State Minister for Kampala Kabuye Kyofatogabye include: the body to periodically determine payment, do way with vendor leadership, KCCA establishing direct relation or contact with the vendors, Vendors to pay for their utilities like water and electricity and each to have a yaka meter in addition to applying the principle of one vendor one stall or lock up.
He also directed that Vendors should continue associating and organize themselves into saccos to benefit from ongoing government programs like Myooga. KCCA was directed to pay for common utilities like water bills in toilets and lights in open spaces and security, KCCA to collect garbage, the Market dues ( Empooza) to be paid at entry and not charged on the vendor in the markets
President Museveni also said that the Market bill will be returned to parliament to review the market committees which he says are exploitative of the vendors.
According to Kampala Minister Hajjat Minsa Kabanda President Museveni’s directives are in a spirit of allowing small-scale and medium sized start-ups to survive and the richer ones with developed businesses to move to bigger and richer spaces.
