By Denis Turyahebwa
The Minister for Kampala, Betty Kamya has directed the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) law enforcers and Police to crack the whip on vendors and hawkers who have again occupied restricted spaces in the city.
The Minister said this while addressing the press at Uganda Media Centre on Thursday.
“There is an upsurge of people building without approved permits. We are not going to allow these irresponsible people to endanger the lives of Ugandans by building without instruction from the regulators of this sector,” the Minister for Kampala stated.
“You can’t say you want a well-organized city with everybody breaking the rules. With people building as they want in road reserves, drainage channels and setting merchandise wherever they want,” she added.
Moses Atwine, the Director for Physical Planning at KCCA also told reporters that notices for over 500 buildings across Kampala have been issued.
This is not the first time KCCA has moved to demolish buildings constructed without permits. In August 29, 2012 the Commandant Kampala Metropolitan Police was ordered to support the demolition of the structures.
KCCA and the police agreed to undertake this exercise on September 4, 2012, but on the morning of the said date, the police informed KCCA that the Vice President’s office had ordered for a stay of action until a meeting between his office and KCCA.
Meanwhile, Hon. Kamya also directed the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) law enforcers and Police to crack the whip on vendors and hawkers who have again occupied restricted spaces in the city.
“I have learnt that street vendors are back on the streets with impunity. This is against the laws that govern this city. I call upon street vendors to respect the spaces gazetted for other activities such as pedestrians and to create pathways into shops,” Kamya said adding that traders have already petitioned her office regarding the issue of vendors and hawkkers who have blocked passages to their shops.
“We have been through this. We don’t need to start fighting and running around with people again,” she added.
Kamya revealed that a team headed by herself including city administrators and councilors recently visited Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and Kigali to benchmark on best practices regarding orderliness in these cities.
The Minister said that a report on the findings by the team will soon be submitted and that “if we need to revisit our ordinances, we shall do it.”
“I therefore direct KCCA and Police to enforce the laws on street vendors and hawkers immediately,” she ordered.
The Minister said the public has a responsibility to abide by the regulations and ordinances that guide the city.
She also cautioned the vendors who bribe KCCA law enforcers in the hope of trading from restricted areas.
