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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA has met street vendors and hawkers to collect their views on the street vending ordinance. The KCCA Commercial Manager, Henry Bukenya presented the ordinance to the vendors at the meeting held at City Hall under the leadership of City Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago.
The objective of the ordinance is to provide a clear and comprehensive license and regulatory regime for persons who wish to engage in street trade. It also seeks to provide for overall management of street trade in the city by KCCA.
The draft ordinance proposes that hawkers and street vendor be licensed according to their areas of operation. It categorizes places of operations into grade A and grade B. Bukenya explained that Grade A areas shall comprise of very busy areas like the city Center while Grade B less busy areas.
According to the ordinance, Grade A street vendors and hawkers will be required to pay annual license fees of Shillings 210,000 and Shillings 112,500 respectively. Grade B street vendors and hawkers will pay Shillings 78,750 and Shillings 60,000 annually.
The ordinance also sets Shillings 236,250 and Shillings 498,750 for wholesale vendors operating in Grade B and Grade A areas. Bukenya explained that street wholesalers include those that sell goods on pick-up vehicles like plastics, food and clothes.
However, the vendors noted that the fees are too high. They instead suggested that vendors and hawkers in grade A pay Shillings 60.000 and Shillings 40.000 respectively. As of the wholesale vendors, they suggested a maximum of Shillings 300,000.
The ordinance further proposes that all traders be given uniforms and specific colors, according to the division they operate from. Vendors in Central division will wear a green uniform, Nakawa blue, Lubaga Orange, Kawempe Red and Makindye division Yellow.
Hawkers from all divisions would wear a black overall that will available at KCCA offices at Shillings 50,000. The traders didn’t oppose the colors of the uniform except for a hawker who said black wouldn’t be favorable for them since they keep walking under the sun.
The Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago promised that council would consider his concern. The traders told KCCA that the fees for the uniforms were so high and instead suggested between Shillings 10,000 and 25000.
Lukwago promised to table the matter before council, saying the fees wouldn’t go beyond Shillings 25,000.
Among the provisions of the ordinance is a section that gives KCCA the right to deny a license to a trader without giving reasons. The traders asked KCCA to revise this provision such that KCCA offers an explanation to traders if they decide to deny them a license.
Lukwago said the ordinance is a big step towards organizing the vendors.
He says that once passed, KCCA shall license traders no matter their numbers as government finds other solutions to work with vendors.
There has been resistance from traders operating shops around Kampala since KCCA embarked on processing the ordinance this year. The traders argue that street vending affects their businesses because they sell the same products cheaply.
However, in his response Lukwago notes that apart from street vendors being customers to the traders in shops, they also have limited capital which still gives the shopkeepers an advantage. He asked the traders to embrace competition and work together with the street vendors and hawkers.
KCCA shall continue consulting hawkers and vendors in their respective divisions before the matter is cause listed for August.
The ordinance is currently before the Attorney General for legal advice. It shall be discussed by council for approval once it is okayed by the Attorney General.
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