KCCA to engage arcade owners as 120 are ordered to close

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The State Minister for Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs, Kabuye Kyofatogabye has said that the leadership of Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA and the Ministry are set to meet arcade owners who have failed to fulfill requirements for reopening.

Kyofatogabye was today speaking at the Uganda Media Center where he listed 120 arcades he says have failed to meet the requirements for reopening.

When President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni lifted the 42 days lockdown he had instituted in June, the transport and businesses were allowed to open with strict conditions to fulfill.

The arcades are required to have separate entries and exits, have CCTV cameras to monitor the arcades, have washing facilities at all entrances, a committee to enforce hand washing and wearing masks, and temperature guns to take measures of all people entering arcades.

They are also required to have isolation rooms where COVID-19 suspects can be kept before being taken to hospital and that no vendors should operate on verandas, in corridors and in temporary buildings fixed in compounds of some arcades.

Other requirements include; having well managed toilet facilities, garbage management systems with adequate dustbins and having a stock of sanitary facilities like detergent and liquid soap for use among other requirements.

Last week, a team from Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA, security and Ministry of Health embarked on an inspection exercise to see that all arcades meet the set SOPs. By Wednesday, a total of 215 arcades had been inspected and 174 passed the inspection while 41 didn’t and were asked to fix the breaches before they could be re-opened.

Kyofatogabye says that 70 of the 120 arcades do not have isolation centers, don’t have enough toilets yet the requirement is for one toilet to serve 20 shops, have no CCTV cameras, no fire extinguishers and no enforcement officers to ensure observance of Standard Operating Procedures -SOPs.

He says that 50 of the 120 arcades also don’t have water in toilets while in some cases have faulty water lines, some toilets don’t have doors, are congested with steps turned into selling points and have also turned underground parking lots into selling points.

Kyofatogabye says the arcade owners have been informed of what they need to improve and that they will have a further engagement on Monday to discuss how they can make some improvements including removing traders from basements.

Some of the shops listed by the Minister include; Kalmax Building, Corner House, Fazil Building, Tropical Complex, Arua Park Plaza A and B, Giant Shopping Arcade, Light Arcade, Justin Arcade and Nabugabo Business Center.

Also Mabirizi City Plaza, God’s Grace, Qualicel House, Amina at William Street, Sky Light, Mulima Mayuni arcade, Nakasero Complex, Katonga Business Center, Star Shoppers and Soweto Arcade among others.

The Minister of ICT Chris Baryomunsi has asked arcade owners and traders to comply with the directive until they fulfill the set requirements. He says the intention of government isn’t to close businesses but rather open them in a safe manner while safe guarding all people accessing the facilities.

As of Wednesday 11th August 2021, a total of 247 arcades had been inspected of which only 127 were recommended for opening. KCCA will next week also start to inspect arcades in the other divisions of Nakawa, Kawempe, Makindye and Lubaga to ensure compliance to the set SOPs.

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