KCCA Gives Street Vendors, Illegal Boda Stages Two Weeks to Vacate City Streets
KCCA Minister Hajat Minsa Kabanda has given street vendors, hawkers, and operators of illegal boda boda stages a two-week ultimatum, from February 5 to 19, 2026, to vacate Kampala streets. She warned that strict enforcement will follow, including arrests, confiscation of goods, and prosecution, as authorities move to restore order and transform Kampala into a smart city.
The Minister for Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), Hajat Minsa Kabanda, has issued a two-week ultimatum to street vendors, hawkers, and operators of illegal boda boda stages to vacate Kampala city streets as government moves to restore order and sanity in the capital.
The directive takes effect from February 5 to February 19, 2026, after which strict enforcement of the Trade Order will commence. Minister Kabanda said the exercise is part of efforts to transform Kampala into a smart, organized, and business-friendly city.
“Kampala is the business centre and the heartbeat of Uganda. There is a need to restore order if we are to achieve the goal of a smart city,” Kabanda said.
She added that once the Trade Order is fully enforced in Kampala City, similar measures will be extended to other towns within the greater Kampala metropolitan area.
The minister warned that no street vendor or operator of illegal boda boda stages will be spared during enforcement. Those found vending goods along roadsides or on streets will have their merchandise confiscated and will be prosecuted in courts of law.
“Anyone who will be nabbed vending or hawking goods on the streets will be arrested, their goods confiscated, and they will be prosecuted. Any law enforcement officer found soliciting bribes from vendors will also face the wrath of the law,” Kabanda warned.
She further cautioned political leaders against interfering with the operation, saying any attempts to obstruct the implementation of the Trade Order will be reported to higher authorities for appropriate action.
“I appeal to political leaders to cooperate with the authority and law enforcement teams for the successful implementation of this Trade Order. Let us work together to ensure sanity in the city,” she said.
Minister Kabanda also revealed that boda boda riders who use pedestrian walkways will be arrested and arraigned in court, describing the practice as dangerous to pedestrians and contrary to city regulations.
In a move aimed at accommodating small-scale traders, the minister announced the reinstatement of the Sunday open market, where hawkers will be allowed to sell their goods without interruption. She said KCCA has already gazetted a specific location for the weekly market.
The Deputy Executive Director of KCCA, Benon Kigenyi, who represented Executive Director Hajat Sharifah Buzeki, said street vending negatively affects established businesses and city order. He noted that strengthening the enforcement of the Trade Order is the only sustainable solution to the problem.
Kigenyi urged traders and the public to comply with the directive, saying KCCA is committed to balancing livelihoods with the need for an organized and safe city.
