Kampala’s central business district was markedly quieter today as enforcement teams from the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) began clearing street vendors and illegal kiosks following the expiry of a government ultimatum.
The directive, issued two weeks ago by the Minister of Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs, required all street vendors, boda boda riders without designated stages, and unlicensed taxi operators to vacate public roads and walkways by 8 p.m. on Thursday, 19 February 2026.
In an overnight operation into Friday, KCCA officers, supported by police, demolished makeshift stalls and roadside structures that had long crowded walkways and narrowed key thoroughfares in the city.
Officials say the move is aimed at restoring sanitation, pedestrian safety and traffic flow, particularly in high‑traffic zones like Ben Kiwanuka Street, Luwuum Street, Nasser Road and Kikuubo Lane.
KCCA Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki defended the crackdown, noting that more than 4,000 vacant market stalls in gazetted markets are available for traders, and that the authority also secured nearly 2,000 spaces in neighbouring municipalities to accommodate displaced vendors.
Some traders, however, argue that formal markets lack footfall and fail to provide the daily income that street trading afforded them. Many vendors continue to lament a lack of viable alternatives, insisting they have “nowhere to go.”