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On Thursday, February 5, 2026 the minister for Kampala, Minsa Kabanda, addressed journalists at Uganda Media Centre.
She briefed them about the new trade order, available workspaces in public markets for street vendors and the revival of the Sunday Market.
The press conference began with a reminder to all those present that in 1969, the government of Uganda enacted the Trade (Licensing) Act 1969 to create trade order and that “one is only allowed to trade from a given area, only if they have a trade license.”
Therefore, the street vendors we have seen loitering around Kampala, selling their wares, have been operating illegally on the streets for years! When these street vendors walk in-between cars stuck in traffic jam, they not only endanger their lives but also make it difficult for motorists to drive.
When these street vendors need to ease themselves, and there is no public toilet in the vicinity, where do they go? In particular, the mango vendors have a tendency to peel their fruits and leave the peels scattered on the streets and sit in the green grass that is meant to beautify the capital city.
It is grossly unfair for shop owners (who are still struggling to adapt to taxes like EFRIS) to be expected to pay taxes when street vendors who operate in front of their shops get off scot-free.
Whereas the minister initially gave the vendors a deadline of February 9, 2026 to vacate the streets, she magnanimously extended the deadline to give the vendors a two-week grace period.
However, once this grace period has expired, street vendors will face arrest and prosecution for illegal trading and their goods will be confiscated. The implementation of this law is long overdue because the capital city is so disorganised. Therefore, the minister’s directive should not be misconstrued as a measure to punish these daily earners but one that seeks to restore trade order in Kampala.
“Any enforcement officer found soliciting bribes, or aiding illegality, will face disciplinary action and prosecution,” the minister warned.
This ministerial directive also applies to taxi drivers, plus the thousands of unruly boda bodas who create illegal stages, to the extent that some of them break the law by parking on pavements and street corners.
The boda bodas also take full advantage of Kampala’s traffic congestion to snatch women’s handbags on the streets. All this has a negative impact on attracting tourism and foreign investment in Kampala. The street vendors have not been left stranded.
Currently, Kampala’s five divisions have more than 69 private markets where these vendors can operate. In addition, out of the 17 Kampala Capital City Authority markets, nine markets have been earmarked with 2,520 available workspaces.
The nine proposed KCCA markets with 2,520 workspaces currently available for street vendors are: Busega, Nakawa, Luzira, Wandegeya, City Abattoir, New Ntinda, Usafi, Kamwokya and Nateete.
In addition, the Sunday markets that will soon be revived will operate from 7:30am till 6pm. The following day, February 6, 2026, the Lord Mayor-Elect, Ronald Balimwezo, along with some KCCA councillors, held a separate press conference, condemning the minister for “chasing away vendors” and asked her to withdraw those directives.
They claimed that “the minister has no mandate at all,” and that she should have consulted the KCCA Council before issuing the directive. On the contrary, the minister not only has the mandate, she is acting within the law.
Being in the opposition does not mean opposing government at every turn. If the Lord Mayor-Elect follows in the footsteps of his predecessor, Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, he will cause unnecessary fights and wrangles at City Hall and Kampala will never develop into a smart, modern capital city.
The Lord Mayor-Elect should not politick and posture, thinking that defending street vendors will make him ‘a man of the people.’ He should act in everyone’s best interests, not just Kampala’s street vendors.
The Lord Mayor-Elect should show a united front with the minister of Kampala; they should hold joint press conferences after having arrived at an agreed common position, as opposed to holding separate press conferences where one faction is fighting another.
Developed countries that adopt urban planning don’t politick over every decision. In the past, political interference is the main reason why the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Master Plan, which includes a Bus Rapid Transit system, has never been fully implemented and Kampala is still stuck with taxis and boda bodas in 2026. Kampala needs trade order now.
The writer works for Uganda Media Centre
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