The Minister of Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs, Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, has issued a two-week ultimatum directing street vendors to vacate Kampala’s streets, warning that strict enforcement will resume immediately after the grace period ends.

The directive comes after more than three months of worsening congestion in Kampala, blamed on the growing number of street vendors, illegal boda boda operators, and taxi stages occupying major roads, walkways, and trading zones across the city.

Speaking to journalists at the Media Centre in Kampala on Thursday, Kabanda initially instructed Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and the police to immediately enforce the city trade order. However, following appeals from street vendor leaders, the minister revised her position and granted vendors two weeks to leave the streets voluntarily.

Kabanda said the election season has ended and stressed that the government will no longer tolerate congestion, disorder, lawlessness, or the misuse of public spaces under the excuse of survival or politics. She explained that Kampala is now entering a phase of strict, full, and continuous enforcement of all city laws and ordinances.

The minister noted that the government has already provided alternatives for vendors, including gazetted markets and designated boda boda stages. She also announced that KCCA will reinstate the Sunday market, giving vendors additional working hours from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to help reduce congestion and create room for city cleaning operations.

Kabanda further warned that anyone found violating the city trade order, including enforcement officers and political leaders, will face prosecution. “This operation is not targeting the poor but lawlessness. Without order, the city collapses for everyone. Kampala is not just a place for survival; it is the capital city of the Republic of Uganda. It must be clean, safe, passable, and dignified,” she said.

Street vendors welcomed the minister’s engagement, saying it was a positive step toward dialogue rather than confrontation. Their leader, Kenneth Kizito, thanked city authorities for consulting them before enforcement begins, but raised concerns about delays in implementing the Sunday market, which he said had already been approved by KCCA.

Kizito used the same platform to appeal to the minister to reconsider immediate enforcement, explaining that many vendors had stocked goods for the back-to-school season. He requested two weeks to allow traders to sell their items, earn income, and pay school fees ahead of the new school term scheduled to begin on the 10th of this month.

KCCA Deputy Executive Director Benon Kigenyi acknowledged that congestion caused by street vending has severely affected movement and access within the city. He explained that the laws governing trade in Kampala, including the KCCA Act, the Trade Licensing Act, and the Local Government (Kampala City Traders) Bylaws, are intended to protect lives and ensure order rather than punish traders.

Kigenyi said KCCA has identified available workspaces within gazetted markets and is also working on expanding market infrastructure to accommodate more traders. He noted that plans are underway to establish additional markets in areas such as Kamwokya and Ggaba, while efforts are also ongoing to complete Kitintale market to create more official trading spaces.

He added that KCCA will carry out a two-week sensitization campaign targeting street vendors, taxi operators, and boda boda riders, aimed at encouraging voluntary compliance and self-enforcement before full operations begin.

With the two-week countdown now in effect, authorities say Kampala residents should expect tighter enforcement measures once the grace period expires, as the government pushes to restore order and ease congestion in the capital.