Smart City Campaign Reduces Kikuubo Street Vendors Drastically

The number of street vendors in the Kikuubo business lane has been reduced to less than half as the smart city campaign intensifies.  

The smart city campaign by KCCA is a concerted effort to uplift the face and status of Kampala city in all spheres most notable restoration of trade order on the streets.  

Emmanuel Joel Kivumbi the vice-chairperson of the Kikuubo lane vendor’s association, says that the number of vendors that used to operate from the lane has completely reduced since January.  

According to Kivumbi, the vendors’ number has reduced from 300 to 100, since the intense operation started, and of those remaining, some do not come daily for fear to be arrested.  

// Cue in; “nakwasibwa obukulembezze …….//

Cue out; … nanoonya mpola mpola.”// 

 

Kivumbi says many of the former vendors went back to their villages while others changed jobs but are still within the city.

  From January 2022, KCCA together with the police and the army instituted an intensified operation to restore trade order in the city by cracking down on street vendors and other forms of illegal trading.  

Kikuubo has been the main concentration of this kind of trade, and from there it spreads to other parts of the central business district. And by the time URN visited the lane, the remnant vendors were in occasional running battles with the law enforcers.  

As this is going on, traders operating within the lane, are excited about the vendors’ eviction, which they say has had a positive impact on their businesses.  

Edris Ssansa who deals in utensils, says that the presence of vendors in the lane bears a negative impact on their businesses since they block customers from entering the buildings. He adds that since the vendors were evicted, his business is registering improved daily sales.  

  //Cue in; “Kitukosa nga abasuubuzi ……. //

  Cue out; ….. amanyi eno tuseela.”// 

 

    Barbra Nakibuule a dealer in plastic cups and plates, says vendors not only compete with them for customers but also buy from the same suppliers, yet they do not pay any overhead costs like rent and license which helps them to sell cheaply hence taking most of the customers.

 

  // Cue in; “Tukiwagila bagende …..//

    

Cue out; .... kusente nettukola.”//   

 

  However, a section of traders is not bothered about the vendors whether they are in the lane or not, and they argue that a customer who is meant for some will always buy from that person, adding the vendors are not a problem in any way to their businesses.    

  Still, other traders from this school of thought, indicate that some vendors source what they sell from them, and their absence has led a decline in their turnover.