The Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Hon. Minsa Kabanda, has defended ongoing enforcement operations targeting street vendors, hawkers, unlicensed taxis, and boda boda riders in the city centre, describing the measures as necessary to restore order, improve cleanliness, and ease traffic congestion.
Speaking during meetings with city stakeholders and residents, Kabanda stressed that the operations are not intended to punish city dwellers, but to reorganise public spaces and address long-standing concerns over blocked walkways, traffic jams, and poor sanitation.
She noted that unregulated roadside trading and illegal transport operations have significantly disrupted key business areas.
“You are our people and we love you. I thank you for voting for me and my President Yoweri Museveni, but now you have to let us do our work,” Kabanda said, urging cooperation from traders and riders during the ongoing operations.
The minister added that city leaders face the challenge of balancing the needs of informal traders with licensed business owners, who pay rent and taxes but face unfair competition from vendors operating in undesignated areas.
Many shop owners have reportedly complained about reduced customer access due to overcrowded pavements and unregulated street trading.
In recent weeks, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), in collaboration with security agencies, has intensified operations across downtown areas, removing makeshift stalls, clearing pavements, and impounding motorcycles and vehicles operating without proper documentation.
Authorities say these actions are part of a broader effort to enhance urban planning, public health standards, and pedestrian safety.
While some residents and formal business operators have welcomed the crackdown as a step toward a cleaner and more organised city, informal traders have raised concerns about losing their primary sources of livelihood.
Kabanda acknowledged the economic challenges faced by many vendors but reiterated that Kampala must be organised to function effectively.
She said the government and KCCA are exploring alternative, designated markets and structured operating areas where traders can work legally without disrupting traffic or sanitation standards.
City authorities have urged affected traders and transport operators to engage with KCCA officials to identify lawful operating spaces and regularise their businesses. Enforcement operations are expected to continue as part of Kampala’s broader urban management strategy to transform the capital into a more orderly and sustainable metropolitan area.
