Kampala – The government has swiftly halted the ongoing enforcement of the trade order to allow time for further consultation with stakeholders on its impact on the nation’s economic growth.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The announcement was made by the State Minister for Trade, Hon. David Bahati, in response to a legislator who sought answers regarding the enforcement of the trade order in towns and cities.
The Bukooli Central MP, Solomon Silwany, raised a matter on the floor of Parliament, telling the House that small traders operating kiosks and other micro-businesses are suffering due to abrupt and unexplained enforcement actions.
He described scenes of enforcement teams removing kiosks and confiscating goods without warning, leaving many traders destitute, and urged the Minister of Trade to clarify the government’s intent while outlining a recovery plan for affected individuals.
“The government cannot claim to support trade while its enforcement teams operate in the shadows, tearing down kiosks and seizing goods without a single word of explanation to the very Parliament that represents the people,” MP Silwany noted.
Responding to the raised concern, State Minister for Trade David Bahati confirmed that the government has heard the outcry and announced the immediate suspension of the trade order enforcement.
Bahati cited formal complaints from traders, religious leaders, and the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda as the basis for the suspension, adding that further consultations will take place before any operation resumes.
He revealed that a final consultation meeting is scheduled for the end of June, with a refined approach expected to commence in July.
“The government has suspended the trade order enforcement, following formal complaints from traders, religious leaders, and the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda. We shall hold further consultations before resuming the operation. The final consultation meeting is scheduled for the end of June, with a refined approach expected to commence in July,” Hon. Bahati stated.
The minister also issued a formal apology to religious leaders over the conduct of some enforcement teams, acknowledging that while the objective remains to bring order to trading areas, enforcement must be handled properly.
Meanwhile, the Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda challenged the government over the fate of traders who have already lost their livelihoods.
The legislator demanded to know whether the government would support those whose businesses were disrupted before the suspension to rebuild their enterprises.
Ssemujju raised alarm over the composition of enforcement squads, claiming they involved security agencies alongside unofficial actors or “goons.”
“What happens to traders whose businesses were already disrupted before the suspension? Will the government support those traders to rebuild their enterprises? It’s a shame that the enforcement squads involve security agencies alongside ‘goons’ to harass and abuse traders,” Ssemujju demanded.
The trade order enforcement began in mid-February by the KCCA clearing walkways and road reserves to improve pedestrian safety and traffic flow in Kampala.
The enforcement later spread to other towns, including Mbarara City and many other towns, and has left several businesses disrupted, some individuals forced out of businesses.
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