KCCA operation leaves many street vendors in tears over confiscated merchandise

By Robert Segawa

Kampala Capital City Authority law enforcement officers have this morning raided streets of Kampala in which several street vendors have been apprehended with their merchandise.

This follows a directive by the minister for Kampala Betty Olive Kamya to the street vendors to leave Kampala streets and join different gazetted markets around the city.

This morning KCCA with help of police conducted operations on different streets of Kampala where over 15 vendors  were arrested  for trying to fight law enforcement officers and their merchandise confiscated.

KCCA police commandant SSP Kitumwa Rusoke conducted this operation on the different streets namely, like Luwum Street, Namirembe road, William Street, Nabugabo, and Nakasero, Bendicto Kiwanuka street where vendors were seen crying for their confiscated goods.

Rusoke says the minister was responding to concerns by the traders in shops who complained that vendors were taking away their clients while they were not paying government taxes.

He added that taxis which load passengers in gazetted areas around the city will be impounded in order to reduce traffic jam in the city.

It should be remembered that ever since KCCA Executive Director Jennifer Musisi wrote to president Museveni asking to allow her resign her office on December 15th 2018 KCCA law enforcement officers had stopped operations in the city.

Jennifer Musisi was appointed as Executive Director KCCA by president Museveni on 15th April 2011, as she has spent 7 years in office in which she  has tried to change the face of Kampala city by building good roads, traffic lights , drainage as well as spear heading evictions of street vendors along Kampala streets.

The vendors have been accusing the law enforcement of manhandling vendors and stealing their merchandise during the operations.

Kitumwa warned KCCA law enforcement that whoever is found manhandling vendors will be arrested and charged in accordance with the law and asked them to perform their duties with professionalism.