KACITA threatens to avoid taxes if vendors resume operating from the streets

By Charles Katabalwa

20^th Jan 2022

Traders in Kampala under their umbrella body Kampala city Traders Association (KACITA) have threatened not to pay license fees and other obligations if Vendors and hawkers come back on streets of Kampala.

Thadious Musoke the chairman KACITA while addressing journalists today at their offices in Kampala today said that vending in the city ,had also led to reduced revenue for government since most of the people who had opted for street vending don’t pay license, income tax and others hence making most of buildings unoccupied thereby leading to low taxes collected.

Musoke adds that it is with no doubt that vendors brought congestion in the city, a health concern as the even hardly adhere to the recommended SOPs ,to control the spreading of COVID-19 , not leaving out a security threat like Bombs as well as  high crime rate like  theft among others.

He has applauded efforts made by KCCA and Kampala RCC and other security organizations to ensure that Kampala become a Smart city through evicting street vendors off streets.

He calls upon government to promote the regional markets ( obutale bwo’mubulo) to also help to provide room for vendors and hawkers to occupy such markets.

The operation against street venders and hawkers in Kampala started on January 17^th 2022 where the Uganda Police, UPDF and KCCA enforcement team stopped venders from operating from the streets and are surveilling the entire city day and night to ensure that no one tries to evade the directive issue by the RCC Hudu Hussein and KCCA executive director Dorothy Kisaka to have the city cleaned, and make it admirable.

The city authorities insist that vendors should occupy markets around or shops and according to the chairman Usafi market Deogratious Ssemanda, they have so far received 300 vendors who mainly deal in fresh foods and merchandise among other items.

Ssemanda is optimistic that vendors can have decent means of operation from Usafi market and avoid risk of lossing property to enforcement teams but also life like some vendors who have died in the process of enforcement which is unfortunate.