news 15 May 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Entebbe Traders Protest 'Selective' Evictions Amidst Trade Order Enforcement
Entebbe traders are crying foul over what they perceive as selective and unannounced evictions carried out by municipal authorities under a new trade order, with some kiosks left untouched while others were demolished. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/entebbe-traders-decry-selective-evictions-under-trade-order-5460502
Traders in Entebbe Municipality are voicing strong objections to the enforcement of a trade order issued by the Ministry of Local Government. They claim the process has been arbitrary, leading to sudden evictions without adequate notice, relocation plans, or sufficient space in designated new market areas.
Allegations of selective enforcement have surfaced, with traders in Division B’s Kitooro area reporting around 150 individuals affected. Saloon owner Geoffrey Kawuki stated that traders received only six days’ notice to vacate, and many only realized their premises were being demolished when enforcement teams arrived. He also pointed out that makeshift containers, deemed illegal, were left standing in walkways and around the new Kitooro Taxi Park, while their established businesses were destroyed.
In Division A, Francis Kalyango, a metal fabricator, had his workshop demolished behind Central Market. He asserts he was operating from a reclaimed dumping site, paying taxes, and holding all necessary licenses, yet his property was destroyed swiftly. Kalyango suggested that the evictions might be a ploy to seize land for a private businessman, a claim that remains unverified.
Fish vendors from Manyago Fish Vendors Association were told to relocate to Central Market but found it cramped, unhygienic, and lacking parking. Resident District Commissioner Frank Kyazze urged traders to support the order for smoother operations, though he acknowledged readiness issues for those needing alternative spaces. He also pledged to investigate claims that the trade order enforcement was being used to settle land disputes.
The Ministry of Local Government’s directive aims to restore trade order by relocating traders to formal markets, improving sanitation, and regulating public transport. However, affected traders are suffering from what they describe as heavy-handed enforcement, loss of property, decreased earnings, and poor working conditions in the new market sites.