Let us work hand in hand to prosper markets and develop the city, KCCA Deputy Speaker pleads with Government

KAMPALA - Rt. Hon Nasur Masaba calls upon government to work hand in hand with the elected leaders of Kampala Capital City Authority in order to restore sanity in markets.  “As council we know markets are a very sensitive area, we noticed there is a lot going on which is unregulated. First of all there was the markets leadership which was put in abstract, we don’t know who put them there but to our analysis, it is the president”, he said. “Who else can we blame if it is to do with the leadership which has been going on there? For us as the governing body of the Capital City, we were supposed to have taken up that initiative. But President Museveni gives Ministers of Kampala powers, the Executive Director KCCA too, and we don’t know now where the power centre is, that is why the Minister seats down and says, Kushaba go here, then the ED sits this side and says you go to Nakasero but that is all because of the president,” he wondered.

Masaba says that his concern is to let the KCCA Council (Political wing) do its duty, the law is very clear. “Yes central government administers the capital city but through the council because there is the KCCA Act which puts it there. We marketed for a market ordinance, but the worst part is Attorney General sent someone to hold it because there is a market Bill in parliament. Legally I do not see why we can’t make an ordinance to streamline how markets should be handled in the city because there is an act of parliament which is going to be signed very soon,” Masaba added.  The Attorney General reasoned that Council could make laws which deviate from the other act but it is the AG who still gives KCCA the bill.

He advised that the recent directives from the President on the markets in Kampala will cause more harm than good.
During a meeting at State House when President Museveni met leaders of the 16 different government markets in Kampala, he noted that the leaders of the vendors had also become exploiters of the vendors they are supposed to represent, that they had turned their leadership positions into offices from where they earn a living hence guiding the following;

a) KCCA should take over administration of all the government markets in the city.
b) No vendor should occupy more than one stall.

Upon further discussions, the following were agreed upon:

a)    The vendors should pay KCCA a reasonable periodic fee (either monthly or annually for the stalls, Lock-ups they occupy.
b)    There should be empooza on items entering the market at a fee to be agreed upon. This empooza will be paid by the traders who bring merchandise to sell to the vendors. The vendors will not be charged emooza on the items they have bought from the traders.
c)    Utilities like Power and ware will be paid for by the vendors themselves. It was agreed that Umeme should be requested to provide Yaka meters to, the users of electricity. It was also noted that National Water and Sewerage Corporation was already providing pre-paid meters where the vendors pay for the water they use.
d)    KCCA will take over the responsibility of garbage collection, maintaining and cleaning toilets using the funds the vendors will be paying for stall/lock-ups.
e)    On the distribution of workplaces, the existing vendors in the government markets will be given priority on the basis of one Vendor per Stall.
f)    On Lock-ups, it was noted that the practise was that one lock-up was being operated by more than one person. It was agreed that if a lock-up is being run by more than one person, all the operators in the said lock-up will be considered as a group. They will jointly pay for periodic rent of the lock-up.
g)    On Kiseka Market, after noting that KCCA was putting slabs on the floor, it was agreed that the vendor who were operating in Kiseka Market should be the ones allowed to use the place after the works are completed.
h)    For the vendors who were operating on the street, it was agreed that KCCA finds them open grounds where they can operate from temporarily.

i)    On the Vendors having their own committees, it was agreed that such committees should not be involved in administration of markets as that was going to be undertaken by KCCA appointed Staff. The Vendors’ committees could be responsible for government programmes like SACCOs, Emyooga etc.

A copy of the above directives was given to all market leaders during a meeting called by the KCCA Executive Director, Dorothy Kisaka on 22nd November 2022, at KCCA Gardens which was attended by technocrats including Salim Uhuru, Mayor Kampala Central Division.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Speaker KCCA Rt. Hon. Nasur Masaba says they are concerned with the structures within the city which has been a very serious cry. He calls upon government to improve on the funding of the Engineering Directorate of KCCA if not, the Capital City will be torn down.

“Imagine the drainage systems in Kampala leave a lot to be desired. The only standard ones were made were during Mayor Sebana Kizitos reign. We politicians see it and are concerned because the budget of KCCA has been chopped every financial year. This year government allocated 300 billion for infrastructural projects, which is very meagre,” he responded while being interviewed by our reporter. He added that a  framework paper that came out indicated that there is no money allocated to the KCCA Engineering department and are negotiating with the central government why funds were not allocated to the Engineering Directorate yet this is the core of Kampala.

“Roads, culverts, and drainage is where most of the money goes. It shows now that the central government maybe has other priorities. KCCA Council told Executive Director KCCA, Dorothy Kisakka to liaise with central government and if not the city is going to get torn and many more people will die if mitigations are not put in place,” he warned.