Summary:

• Business operators in Kabale municipality express concerns over the rise in street vendors, leading to a decrease in clients, while municipal authorities plan to remove street vendors once control of Kabale Central Market is fully transferred from the Ministry of Local Government.

Kabale District | THE BLACK EXAMINER | Business operators in various markets within Kabale municipality are expressing growing concern about the escalating presence of street vendors along different thoroughfares. This surge in street vending has, in turn, led to a noticeable decline in the number of clients patronizing established businesses.

Moses Kyarikora, representing the Kabale Garage Street market, commonly known as Owino market, along with Aggrey Turinawe, who serves as the chairperson for Owino market traders, and Prossy Bikorwomuhangi, a food vendor operating in Kabale Central Market, all conveyed their shared apprehensions to our reporter. They emphasized the challenging times faced by the business community, attributing it to heightened competition with street vendors, resulting in a discernible decrease in clientele.

Kyarikora underscored the possibility that vendors from Kabale Garage Street might resort to street vending themselves if prompt interventions by municipal council authorities are not implemented soon.

In response to these concerns, Kabale Municipal Council Deputy Town Clerk Eric Sunday assured that the municipal council is cognizant of the issue of street vending. He conveyed that initiatives to address and remove street vendors from the roads are on the horizon. Sunday emphasized that a comprehensive removal plan will be set in motion once the Ministry of Local Government relinquishes control of Kabale Central Market to the Kabale Municipal Council.

Furthermore, the Deputy Town Clerk highlighted that the complete eradication of street vendors from the roads is contingent upon the Ministry of Local Government transferring full control of Kabale Central Market to the municipal authorities.

The unfolding scenario gained further clarity when Minister of Local Government Raphael Magyezi clarified that the market had indeed been handed over to municipal authorities. He explicitly stated that the Ministry of Local Government is no longer involved in the organization of the town and the permission granted for people to commence operations from the newly constructed Kabale Central Market.