RUKIGA, UGANDA – Rukiga’s Muhanga Town Council is racing against time to secure land for expansion as it prepares to implement the government’s trade order, aimed at decongesting the growing urban center and restoring business order.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The urgent need for space took center stage during a stakeholders’ awareness and community sensitization meeting held on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at St. Emmanuel Muhanga Church of Uganda Parish.
The gathering, organized under the guidance of the Ministry of Local Government, brought together the business community and town council authorities to chart a way forward.
Addressing the stakeholders, the Mayor of Muhanga Town Council, Twijikye James, confirmed that they have received clear instructions from the Ministry to enforce a strict trade order initiative.
“This is not a local decision. It is part of the government’s broader plan to stabilize rapidly growing urban areas across the country, including cities, municipalities, and town councils like ours here,” stated Mayor Twijikye.
He emphasized that the initiative is designed to create safer, cleaner, and more organized public spaces, but acknowledged that success hinges on finding alternative locations for displaced vendors.
Speaking to this reporter, the Muhanga Town Clerk, Kakaire Herbert, stated that the town council’s most pressing challenge is identifying suitable land within the town to relocate street businesses before enforcement begins.
“We are currently identifying several plots of land around the town council. Our goal is to move all unlicensed street vendors from roadsides and pavements to authorized business premises before we take action,” Kakaire stated.
The Town Clerk warned non-compliant businesses that they risk being shut down, and urged politicians along with their allies to voluntarily remove political posters from the streets before they are damaged during the cleanup enforcement.
He added that as they prepare the ground, all unlicensed vendors must take advantage of the window to find and grab available alternatives authorized under Ugandan law.
While authorities stress that no vendor will be left without an alternative, the absence of a confirmed relocation site and an exact enforcement start date has left many street vendors anxious.
The success of the trade order implementation depends on how quickly the town council can secure and develop alternative land, a task that, by their own admission, remains a major struggle.
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