Written By | Joshua Nahamya
City halkers in Mbarara. Like Kampala, Mbarara city has also issued an altimatum to see hawkers off the streets
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MBARARA CITY – Mbarara City authorities have issued a two-month ultimatum to street vendors to vacate roads and pavements, mirroring a recent enforcement campaign in Kampala aimed at restoring urban order. The directive follows a similar move by the Minister for Kampala, Minsa Kabanda, who ordered vendors, boda boda riders, and taxis operating without designated stages to leave the streets of the capital.
Mbarara City Town Clerk Justin Barekye said the city will not allow vendors displaced from Kampala to relocate to Mbarara. “We are aware that some vendors may attempt to move to Mbarara after being removed from Kampala, but we are prepared. Street vending will not be allowed here,” Barekye said in an interview on Thursday.
She noted that the city’s enforcement team is finalizing plans to remove vendors operating along roadsides, citing complaints from formal traders who pay trading licences, property rates, local service tax, and ground rent. “It is unfair for someone to sell in front of a shop whose owner pays all required taxes. We must create order and fairness in the city,” she said.
Street vending, a common practice at night on Kakoba road Mbarara
Security Concerns
Barekye also described street vending as a security risk, arguing that vendors are difficult to identify and may provide cover for criminal elements.
“When vendors operate on the streets, it becomes hard to identify individuals. Wrongdoers can easily hide among them. In shops and gazetted markets, traders are known and easier to monitor,” she added.
She warned that vendors who defy the directive risk arrest and prosecution under existing city by-laws. Confiscated goods may be auctioned if penalties are not paid.
Alternative Markets Available
City authorities say vendors will be relocated to gazetted markets, including Nyamityobora Market, Mbarara Central Market, and Rwebikona.
“We have markets with available space. Vendors should come to the city offices and we shall allocate them space. Selling along roads will not be tolerated,” Barekye emphasized.
She added that the city plans to rehabilitate Nyamityobora Market to accommodate more traders as Mbarara continues to grow.
“Development does not mean everyone must operate in the city centre. Those who cannot afford prime locations can move to designated areas where business is organized,” she said.
Justin Barekye, City Town Clerk issued a strong warning to street vendors in Mbarara
City Speaker Backs Enforcement
Mbarara City Speaker Bonny Tashobya Karutsya supported the directive, saying the restoration of order should apply to all cities, not just Kampala.
“This is not only about Kampala. All cities must enforce order. Traders who pay taxes cannot compete with vendors who operate freely on the streets without paying any fees,” Tashobya said.
He revealed that the council has already begun removing expired campaign posters and unauthorized advertisements from public spaces to boost revenue collection.
Tashobya cited cases where foreign nationals were arrested for vending on the streets, arguing that all traders must operate within the law.
“If you want to do business, rent premises and pay the required taxes. The streets are not markets,” he said.
Speaker Bonny Tashobya
Mixed Reactions
The directive has sparked mixed reactions among traders and vendors.
Rodgers Betunga, an agro-chemical dealer, supported the move but called for structured relocation plans.
“Let vendors be given proper spaces with clear addresses. Some sell counterfeit or expired products on the streets, which damages legitimate businesses,” he said.
However, Doreen Asiimwe, who sells handkerchiefs along the Mbarara–Kabale road, said the crackdown threatens her livelihood.
“I started this business with Shs500,000 after saving from my job as a waitress. If we are removed from the streets without alternatives, survival will be difficult,” she said.
Some of the street traders on Mbarara City streets
Mbarara Central Market chairman Emmanuel Muhumuza welcomed the directive but urged the city to first clearly designate and prepare alternative spaces.
“In Kampala, authorities identified markets like Usafi before enforcement. Here, we must first plan where these vendors will go,” Muhumuza said.
He warned that poorly planned evictions could lead to increased insecurity if displaced vendors lose their source of income.
City officials maintain that the enforcement will proceed after the two-month grace period, insisting that restoring order and fairness in Mbarara’s fast-growing urban centre is a priority.
