Irene Nakamatte, the Luweero Town clerk wrote to Luweero Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) on June 4, 2021, informing him about the impending relocation of the vendors.
The planned
relocation of hundreds of vendors from the weekly market in Luweero Town
Council has ignited fresh protests. The
vendors under their umbrella, Binyonyi farmers’ market operate on Mondays along
streets including; Kalaso, Masgid-Bagalana and Kikuubo among others in Luweero
town council.
The vendors were first relocated in late 2017 on the advice
from the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) to pave way for the upgrade of Luweero-Ngoma
road.
The vendors were operating along Luweero-Kiwoko, Police and Kasenke roads.
At the time, the town council had passed a resolution to
relocate the market to Kiyenje zone, which triggered protests with the vendors
claiming that the proposed site was not strategic for their business. After rejecting
the proposed site, the vendors moved to other roads away from those connecting
to the one UNRA wanted to upgrade.
They
have been operating from there illegally to date. In February this year, Luweero town council passed a
resolution to relocate the vendors to Kiyenje Trading Center starting July this
year. The council’s resolution was
premised on the need to have ample space for operation. Secondly, it was
observed that the vendors operating in the road reserves are an inconvenience
to other road users.
The vendors were also faulted for disposing of garbage in the
drainage channels, which leads to poor sanitation exposing many lives to
danger. Irene Nakamatte, the Luweero Town clerk wrote to Luweero
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) on June 4, 2021, informing him about the impending
relocation of the vendors. Given the sensitivity of the matter, the letter is
copied to area security officials including Resident District Commissioner,
District Police Commander and local government leaders.
URN spoke to some of the vendors as the days for their
relocation draw closer. Noah Yiga Sewava, the chairperson of the vendors, says
that the site at Kiyenje will only spell doom for their business, adding
that the traders he leads have rejected it. He argued that a market of their
kind can only profit when operating from a busy town with easy access for their
customers.
Luganda Audio
//Cue in: "Ku nsonga eyo...
Cue out: ...abalimi ez’okuyonja town."//
Twaha Kasozi is one of the vendors protesting the planned
relocation. According to Kasozi, it will be an inconvenience to their customers
who always find it easy to buy from them after disembarking from taxis plying
the Kampala-Gulu highway because they will then have to trek further.
Bernard Bakalu
Freelancer