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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kampala Minister, Beti Olive Kamya has ordered the interdiction of 8 Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA law enforcers.
The directive is contained in the Minister’s March 12th, 2019 letter to the Acting KCCA Executive Director, Eng. Andrew Kitaka.
“The following KCCA law enforcement officers who were accused (in their presence) of extortion and brutality should be interdicted immediately to pave for investigation into their conduct,” the letter reads.
The minister identified the enforcement by one name as Jemba, Bernard, Wampamba, Mukalazi, Kato, Muyimbwa, Kabito and Mariam.
“They should be relieved of KCCA uniforms and other KCCA tools or facilities. I expect a report within one month from date of this letter,” Kamya said.
On March 8th, 2019, Kamya met over 1000 vendors operating down town Kampala who gave moving testimonies of brutality meted onto them by KCCA law enforcers.
As government and the opposition maneuver to win hearts of Kampala vendors and hawkers ahead of the forthcoming electioneering season, Kamya says KCCA should withdraw charges against vendors who are facing prosecution and think about granting amnesty to those serving sentences.
“As a truce to future good working relationship between hawkers and KCCA, KCCA should withdraw charges against hawkers on remand for hawking. This does not exonerate hawkers on criminal charges,” the letter reads.
Granting amnesty, Kamya says should be informed by a precedent set by President Museveni who at one time directed withdrawal of charges against boda-boda riders who had violated traffic rules.
Kamya say KCCA should evoke section 3(a) of 3rd schedule of KCCA and start licensing vendors and hawkers operating in Old and New taxi parks as well as all bus parks.
However, the minister says street vendors who place merchandise on verandas of shops and along roadsides shouldn’t be licensed. She says crackdown on street vendors should continue.
“KCCA should support or enable registration of hawkers currently working in these places and they should be given hawking permits for which they should pay a fee to be determined by the Authority (council) as soon as possible,” Kamya said.
She added; “All hawkers should be assigned a uniform and registration number. Under no circumstance should hawkers be licensed to operate in Kampala Central Division, outside the above provisions.”
The minister’s directives and proposals come as KCCA council moves closer to enacting a by-law on street vending.
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