The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Fuba Tukole Hawkers and Vendors Association have petitioned the Speaker Rebecca Kadaga over mistreatment by Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA enforcement officers.
The association spokesman, Emmanuel Tebajjuka and the system strategic officer, Uwiweze Kalera told Kadaga on Monday that the officers harass, torture, injure hawkers and vendors who in some instances have lost their lives.
In the petition, since 2015, the association cites the deaths of Ibrahim Tugula, Julius Mulungi, Jamiru Mubiru, and Olivia Basemera.
Tebajjuka wants parliament to intervene and audit the operations of the law enforcement officers. They add that there is a need for KCCA to issue licenses to hawkers and vendors.
Uwimeze told Kadaga that when KCCA replaced Kampala City Council in 2011, it stopped issuing licenses to hawkers and vendors. He says that KCCA is, however, implementing the 1977 Local Governments [Kampala City street Vendors] Bylaws to evict vendors.
They want parliament to halt KCCA law enforcement operations until a by-law regulating hawking and vending is approved by the KCCA leaders.
The Speaker assured the members that she will brief parliament on the issues raised in the petition in a bid to find solutions. Kadaga says that the hawkers and vendors are ordinary Ugandans trying to make a living and most importantly, their economic rights must be protected.
In March, the Minister for Kampala, Beti Kamya suspended seven KCCA law enforcement officers over brutality and human rights violations.
Meanwhile in November 2017, then KCCA Executive Director Jennifer Musisi told the parliamentary committee on presidential affairs that KCCA had sacked 134 of its law enforcement officers since 2012 over indiscipline, absenteeism, extortion and other corrupt practices during operations to enforce order in the city.
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