Kampala, Uganda | The Black Examiner – The Government has committed to raise Shs 370 billion to buy the 10 acres piece of land in Kisenyi from a Businessman Bosco Muwonge to house street vendors and hawkers who were recently evicted from the Kampala City Streets.
Since December 2022, over 30,000 street vendors and hawkers have been operating from the same place commonly known as the Smart City Baza to help them earn a living.
The Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja together with the Minister for Kampala Hajati Minsa Kabanda and the Executive director for Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Dorothy Kisaka have visited the place and interfaced with the street vendors and hawkers who are currently working from the area to access their performance and needs.
The Prime Minister Nabbanja confirmed to the vendors that they are ready to buy the land since it has helped to house over 30,000 street vendors and hawkers for all this time.
This follows a submission by Minister Kabanda that the city businessman Bosco Muwonge informed her about a number of businessmen interested in the land after discovering that the government had failed to conclude on the possibility of buying it.
The Executive Director for Kampala Dorothy Kisaka appealed to the government to speed up the process to ensure that vendors and hawkers get this piece of land permanently.
Some of the hawkers our reporter reached were jubilating over the assurance made by the Prime Minister saying they are just keeping their hands raised, praying for the government to win the place for them since they are also Ugandans who contribute to the national economy and families.
The Lord Mayor of Kampala Erias Lukwago early this year raised an alarm over the Sh370 Billion to be spent by the government to purchase the 10 acre land in Kisenyi from Muwonge saying that it was too expensive.
However the government though the chief government valuer has not yet decided on the matter.