“The trade order is being implemented across municipalities and cities, including Kampala. Why should Mukono be different?” Wamala said, accusing some leaders of engaging in “cheap politics.”
Divisions have emerged among leaders of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) in Mukono over the planned enforcement of a trade order targeting roadside vendors, just hours before its implementation.
Mukono Municipality Town Clerk Francis Byabagambi had issued a two-week ultimatum to affected traders, with enforcement set to begin on April 1. However, several party leaders at both district and municipal levels have called for the exercise to be halted, citing concerns over its impact on livelihoods.
Mukono District NRM Chairperson Haji Haruna Ssemakula on Monday wrote to the town clerk requesting an immediate suspension of the eviction, saying the decision followed a resolution by the district NRM executive committee.
(Photo by Henry Nsubuga)
“We established that the exercise will negatively affect government economic interventions such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga. Some of the affected traders even hold valid trading licences issued by the municipality,” Ssemakula said.
He added that while the party does not oppose restoring order, the process should involve broader stakeholder consultations.
In a separate communication dated March 28, district NRM publicity secretary Hakim Kyeswa also opposed the enforcement, arguing that it contradicts President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s efforts to lift citizens out of poverty. He urged traders to remain calm and continue operating as discussions continue.
“Order should not come at the expense of people’s livelihoods,” Kyeswa noted.
Mukono Municipality Member of Parliament Betty Nambooze Bakireke also called for a temporary halt to the evictions until alternative trading spaces are identified. She warned that the planned redevelopment of Kame Valley Market under the World Bank-funded Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area programme will further displace vendors.
However, Mukono Municipality NRM Chairperson John Baptist Wamala disagreed with his colleagues, insisting they have no mandate to halt a national directive.
“The trade order is being implemented across municipalities and cities, including Kampala. Why should Mukono be different?” Wamala said, accusing some leaders of engaging in “cheap politics.”
He also faulted Ssemakula for allegedly acting unilaterally, claiming that some district executive members were neither consulted nor invited to the meeting that resolved to halt the exercise.
Despite the growing political pressure, the municipality has maintained its position.
Speaking during a meeting with business leaders on Monday, Byabagambi said the enforcement will proceed as planned, emphasizing that the municipality is implementing a national directive.
“The deadline expires tomorrow, and nothing will stop the operation,” he said.
He noted that the exercise will begin with the removal of traders operating in temporary structures along major roads, including the Kampala–Jinja Highway, Seeta–Namugongo Road, Kayunga Road, and Wantoni–Kisoga Road.
Byabagambi also warned traders against individuals soliciting money in exchange for protection from eviction, stressing that only authorized enforcement teams will conduct the operation.
“Do not give money to anyone claiming they can save you. This operation will be firm and without exception,” he said.
However, over the weekend and by close of business on Monday, a large number of traders had already begun relocating voluntarily without waiting for enforcement.
The standoff underscores growing tensions within the NRM at the local level, as leaders balance the enforcement of urban order with the economic realities facing small-scale traders.
