Traders pay bribes to operate as arcades remain closed

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  Several city traders are paying hefty bribes to law enforcement officers to allow them to operate, URN has learnt. This follows the president’s decision to maintain the suspension on arcades as part of the Covid19 preventive measures.

The suspension has prompted traders to devise other means to sell their merchandise to earn some money for a living. Prosy Male, a trader at Nalubwama arcade, says she pays law enforcement officers Shillings 30,000 to allow her sale merchandise in her vehicle trunk.

Winnie Namirembe, another trader along Nakivubo road also told URN she spends up to Shillings 100,000 each day to facilitate her trade.

Namirembe, who also sales merchandise in her vehicle’s trunk, explains that she pays Shilling 30,000 for parking fees, Shillings 30,000 to Kampala City Council Authority, Shillings 20,000 to the security guard of the building where she operates from and another Shillings 20,000 to law enforcement officers patrolling the area.

Another trader who was vending clothes, shoes and bags in his vehicle opposite Kyaggwe road told URN that he spends more money on defending his business despite the few buyers.

“It’s all about running here and there, ending up losing some of the stock, let government reopen the arcades and we get into being organized. We are tired of this situation,” he said.

Hundreds of traders are currently selling merchandise in their vehicles in front of Gazaland arcade, Nabugabo Street and Nakivubo road.

Sam Bafirawala Muyomba, the in-charge of Publicity and General Duties at Kikuubo Business Community Association called for patience from the traders until the president lifts the suspension of their business.

In his address on Monday, President Yoweri Museveni noted that the risk of spreading the virus is very high now especially that the country has moved into the fatal phase of community spreading.

He advised people in businesses in arcades, salons, sellers of non-food items in markets, weekly markets and schools to register with their respective ministries so that government helps them to get cheap loans or assist them to start other businesses.

“The issue is not jobs or money, but the biggest issue now is life or death; you must eliminate the potential for death caused by the carelessness for this disease,” Museveni said.  But Rachael Komugisha, one of the traders says starting other businesses is not easy since some of them don’t have other skills to multitask.

“I didn’t get a chance to learn skills for different businesses. I was just ushered into this business by my relative,” she said.

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URN