Uganda: Owino Traders Decry Exorbitant Taxes That Contradict Museveni Directive, Want to Elect Their Own Leaders

Minister for Kampala, Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, has established a committee that will spearhead the resolution of issues affecting traders in Owino Market.

This followed complaints from traders who cited exorbitant taxes, among other issues saying such contradicts the previous presidential directive calling for the dissolution of all market leadership.

The traders also want the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to allow them to elect their own leaders whom they are comfortable with if their issues are to be resolved as quickly as possible.

“We want to elect our own leaders, don’t just bring someone we don’t know and someone who doesn’t understand our issues. Why can’t we be allowed to elect our own leaders, “one of the traders quarried amidst applause from other vendors.

Some of the vendors claimed that they are confused and they don’t know where to report, making the situation worse in addressing their affairs.

“We are in a dilemma; we don’t know where to report to. We are being confused,” another vendor said, adding that there are some landlords who are still demanding rent from them.

The vendors were reporting their issues to Kabanda who was in the company of the state minister for Kampala, Kabuye Kyofatogabye, RCCs and KCCA technical staff.

Ministers Kabanda and Kyofatogabye meet traders

As one way of ironing out some of these issues, Kabanda urged different stakeholders to stick to their respective responsibilities.

“What we have found is that there are imposters who come and masquerade as market masters but since we have found out, we are going to work of this issue as soon as possible because we already have market masters in place, we have RCCs in place, “she said.

Kabanda said they have instituted a committee that will directly handle traders’ issues and it will be charged with writing weekly reports on some of the issues that would have transpired in the market.

The Minister believes that this will help to address some of the issues affecting the traders in this market including the long-standing disputes among others.

“Markets are going to be managed by KCCA alone,” she said, noting that she will be visiting 16 markets of Wandegeya, Nateete, Busega, Nakawa among others.

The initiative is aimed at monitoring the operations of these markets. On November 16 this year, President Museveni disbanded the leadership of city public markets and ordered the immediate handover of the operations to KCCA.

He directed that vendors shall pay periodic rental fees (monthly/annually) to KCCA, which money shall be used to pay for services such as security, garbage collection and cleaning, and electricity in open spaces and toilets.

Under the new arrangement, all vendors would be responsible for the payment of utilities within their specific stalls/lockups.