KCCA directed to evict traders from road sidewalks

By Olivia Nabaggala

2^nd Feb 2024

Ministry of Works and Transport has directed Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and Uganda National Roads Authority to implement section 4(3) and section 65(1) of the roads Act 2019.

Section 4(3) prohibits anybody from trading on road shoulders and sidewalks in urban areas since it usually leads to interference with movement of vehicles and pedestrians, encroachment on the road carriage ways which leads to increased incidences of vehicle conflicts, traffic jam due to vehicle slowing down unnecessary.

Section 65(1) says that a person who carries out a business activity on the shoulder, sidewalks or road reserve of a public road commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 3,360,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 7 years or both.

Now speaking to the press at the Uganda Media Center, Minister for Works and Transport Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala warned vendors and hawkers against violating the laws and now KCCA has to ensure that the City remains smart.

The KCCA Deputy Executive Director, Engineer David Luyimbaazi revealed that they spent over Sh30bn to clean the city before the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and G77 plus China conferences and they are to start implementing the post NAM plan to ensure that they decongest the city by removing all illegal structures, restore signage in various areas to avoid vending, encouraging building owners to paint their buildings among others.

He also disclosed that they have gazetted 445 bodaboda stages in the city and removed all illegal stages thus assuring the public that construction works will go on in various divisions of the city.