KAMPALA — Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) says it has identified 1,980 market spaces outside Kampala to accommodate street vendors ahead of enforcement of a government directive requiring them to vacate the city’s roads and pedestrian spaces by February 19, 2026.
At a press briefing held at City Hall on Friday, Hajjat Sharifah Buzeki, Executive Director of KCCA, said the additional spaces are part of broader efforts to restore trade order, improve public safety, and reduce congestion in the city centre.
“We have provided 1,980 spaces outside Kampala to ensure that no vendor is left without an alternative. The time for operating on the streets is coming to an end,” Ms Buzeki said.
The move follows a directive issued on February 5 by the Ministry of Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs and KCCA, giving street vendors a grace period to relocate to designated market sites before enforcement begins. Under the directive, vendors who continue trading outside gazetted markets after February 19 risk arrest, prosecution, and confiscation of their goods.
KCCA currently manages 17 public markets within the city and oversees some 69 privately owned markets, according to the authority. Ms Buzeki urged vendors to take advantage of available spaces both inside and outside Kampala before enforcement begins.
KCCA’s actions are part of longstanding efforts to address the challenges posed by informal trading across Kampala’s downtown areas, where vendors operating on pavements, roads and junctions have been blamed for congestion, blocked walkways, sanitation issues and safety hazards. Authorities have highlighted that structured markets offer better conditions, including hygiene, security and regulated trading space.
City authorities have said that organised markets not only support legitimate business activity, but also help protect infrastructure and pedestrian access — crucial elements in Kampala’s urban planning and growth strategy.
