KAMPALA, UGANDA: President Museveni has for the second time again disbanded the leadership of all Kampala markets with immediate effect and directed for fresh elections.
In a meeting held at State House in Entebbe on Wednesday with Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, Minister for Kampala Metropolitan Affairs, Hajjati Minsa Kabanda, KCCA Executive Director, Dorothy Kisaka and other stakeholders, the president directed the suspension of the interim committees in Kampala markets.
The committees had come into power almost two years ago when the president disbanded the then leaderships. A case in point is St.Balikuddembe market also known as Owino, the St Balikuddembe Market Stalls, Space and Lock-ups Shop Owners Association (SSLOA) leadership of Godfrey Kayongo was sent packing and replaced with Suzan Kushaba who has been in charge.
The latest development by the president however saw Kushaba also sent packing by the president.
This is the same with other government markets in the city including Wandegeya and Nakasero among others.
Sources that attended the meeting say the president expressed concern that the interim leadership had not helped the situation as he had thought.
“The interim leaders continued from where the former leaders had stopped in being exploitative to the vendors in markets. Many of them had allocated themselves a number of stalls in markets and were renting them out to traders. The president didn’t like this,” the source said.
Consequently, the president directed that the interim leadership be sent packing.
The president also directed that vendors elect their own leaders but no leaders should have a direction relation with KCCA staff who are currently in charge of the markets.
Museveni also directed that vendors should pay for their utilities like water and electricity with each having their own metres( in regards electricity) and that it should be one vendor to own one stall or lock up.
According to the president, the market bills should return to parliament and market committees which he said are exploitative to vendors are reviewed.
KCCA will going forward, pay for common utilities like water bills in toilets and lights in open spaces and security but also collect garbage in the markets whereas market dues commonly known as empooza will be paid at entry and not charged on the vendors in the markets.
Background
The president earlier this month advised that markets in Kampala and the metropolitan areas should be owned and managed by the low-income earners.
He said it appalling that the rich had taken over the markets and charge high fees from vendors who are low-income earners.
“The rich can afford doing business on Kampala Road, Ntinda and all the other main roads. As leaders who love their country, they should think about the poor,” Museveni said while meeting Kampala leaders .
The president consequently tasked the Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, to spearhead the move to see that the markets return to low income earners.
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