Mawanda Road Traders Count Losses As KCCA Demolishes Kiosks

Owners of businesses along Mawanda Road in Kawempe Division are counting losses after Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA enforcement officers demolished kiosks and temporary structures as part of the smart city campaign.

The KCCA law enforcement officers who were backed by the police and the army demolished Mobile Money kiosks, groceries, and fast food places.

At the beginning of the year, KCCA embarked on a smart City Campaign by evicting street vendors, hawkers, and people operating in kiosks along city roads. When the operation started, only kiosks in road reserves were removed but Wednesday’s operation did not spare structures that were outside the reserve.

One of the structures that were demolished was a fast food eating place belonging to David Okion. The structure which was established two months was erected meters away from the road reserve near Mawanda Road Police Station.

Alex Masaba, who has been owning a kiosk and selling snacks for two years says he is still contemplating where he will work from. Masaba says he rushed to remove his merchandise and the kiosk when he learned that the KCCA was conducting the smart city operation in the area.

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Januariyo Gumisiriza, a worker at Farhan Restaurant says that they were taken by surprise by the enforcement officers. He says that his clients were out of the restaurant and later the structure was demolished.

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Some people who protested the demolition were arrested by the police.

  The Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago has in the past faulted KCCA for illegally evicting street vendors and hawkers. Lukwago says that the operations are not backed by the law since vending is not illegal.