By Ambrose Gahene
A handful of traders and business entrepreneurs on Saturday raised a number of complaints during marking of the 2nd National Cleaning Day, held at UMEA Primary School, Kyaliwajjala zone, of Namugongo Division in Kira Municipality of Wakiso District.
Dr. Thadius Musoke Nagenda, the Executive Director, National Entrepreneurs and Traders Association-Uganda (NETA Uganda) in a separate interview with Journalists lashed at some security personnel who use excessive force to implement the National Cleaning Day.
Dr. Musoke, said much as he supports hygiene and cleanliness in the community, security personnel should be human while enforcing the directive on Ugandans on the cleaning day.
He also said, the time frame for cleaning should be shortened from four hours to three hours to enable the business community go back to their duties earlier, because majority business people derive their livelihoods and that of their families from doing business.
In the same vein, a handful of traders at Kireka Farmers Market, also in Kira Municipality, bitterly complained of the intention by authorities at Uganda Railways giving them an ultimatum to vacate the market by Monday 31st August, 2026.
Mr. Godfrey Kigonya, Muwogo Zone Leader in Kireka town and trader at the market adjacent to a railway line, said the traders adhered to Government’s rule, that requires traders to carry out their businesses 10 metres away from the railway line.
He said the market is their only source of livelihood and that they (traders) have no alternative land to relocate the market.
Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabanja, Uganda’s Prime Minister, who also participated in the cleaning day excise waived Kireka market traders fears, that they will not be evicted within such short notice.
While addressing the traders at the market after the cleaning exercise, Hon. Nabanja promised to discuss the traders plight with President Yoweri Museveni, to get an alternative land for the traders to relocate from the proximity of the railway line, which she said poses a threat to their own lives in the event of an accident.
Rt. Hon. Nabanja donated UGX 20 million to the market traders and called on them to embrace Government’s programs, such as Parish Development Program (PDM) if they are to eradicate poverty in households.
“National Resistance Movement (NRM) Government listens to the plight of citizens, which is why you should rally support to NRM as the engine for socio-economic transformation”, she said.