Kitgum Municipal Council has begun mapping structures affected by the government trade order ahead of consultations and enforcement to remove illegal structures and regulate commercial activities in the municipality. The trade order was issued by the Ministry of Local Government in March 2026, in line with the Trade Licensing Act, Cap 101, which requires all commercial activities to operate from authorized premises with valid licenses, and prohibits street vending on pavements, sanitary lanes, road reserves and other gazetted areas.
Kitgum Municipal Mayor Richard Ojara Okwera said the Town Clerk has constituted a technical working team comprising the Deputy Town Clerk and officers from the engineering, physical planning, environment and health departments. “We have a technical working group who are on the ground. We have reached a stage of mapping. We are mapping the affected areas,” Ojara said.
The mapping covers the municipality’s main corridor, from Achaki Lodge, which Ojara described as the municipality’s entry point, to Labuje Market at the exit point. The exercise involves identifying and marking structures, including kiosks and other temporary structures, that may have been erected in areas where they are not permitted.
The mayor said the municipality will first engage affected residents at the grassroots before involving security agencies and other government departments in the enforcement operation. He said an interdepartmental meeting will bring together the District Police Commander, district security officials, brigade commander, Resident Assistant District Commissioner, District Internal Security Officer, and political and technical leaders from the divisions.
“After that inter-departmental engagement, we are going to swing into action and start removing illegal structures,” Ojara said. The initial enforcement will focus on the Central Business District, particularly Town Ward, Central Cell, Apollo Ground and Langalanga, before extending to peri-urban areas.
Patrick Ochan, the Deputy Town Clerk and chairperson of the Trade Order Task Force, said the municipality had delayed implementing the trade order but had now adopted a phased approach beginning with sensitisation and mapping.
Ochan said authorities had conducted radio talk shows on two stations, issued public notices and press releases, and engaged traders and other stakeholders about the impending enforcement. He said the trade order seeks to restore order by addressing unregulated businesses, structures and commercial activities on pedestrian walkways.
Ochan said the mapping also assesses whether businesses and activities conform to the municipality’s physical development plan, which designates specific areas for different uses. “We first map these areas. We map the type of business conducted there and the activities that are taking place around,” he said.
The task force has completed mapping in Pandwong Division and moved to the Central Business District before proceeding to other divisions. Ochan said the task force will review the mapping findings before determining which properties will be affected and engaging their owners.
He said authorities intend to give affected businesses adequate time to relocate and, where possible, identify alternative areas where they can continue operating.
He said the municipality deliberately opted for sensitisation and consultation after observing challenges in other local governments where trade orders were implemented without adequate notice, resulting in complaints over the demolition of businesses and property.
Ochan said enforcement will begin after the mapping report has been reviewed and presented to the district security committee and the office of the Resident Assistant District Commissioner. The security agencies will be involved in the enforcement process to ensure its smooth implementation.
Ochan said the municipality had not yet encountered significant resistance from traders or residents, attributing the cooperation partly to the sensitisation conducted before the mapping exercise.
Ochan said the municipality deliberately opted for sensitisation and consultation after observing challenges in other local governments where trade orders were implemented without adequate notice, resulting in complaints over the demolition of businesses and property.
He said affected traders would be given time to relocate, while the municipality would seek alternative locations for businesses where necessary. Ochan said enforcement will begin after the mapping report has been reviewed and presented to the district security committee and the office of the Resident Assistant District Commissioner. Security agencies will be involved in the enforcement process to ensure its smooth implementation.
Ochan said the municipality had not yet encountered significant resistance from traders or residents, attributing the cooperation partly to the sensitisation conducted before the mapping exercise.
Some traders have welcomed efforts to improve order in the municipality but expressed concern about the impact of the exercise on businesses, particularly those operating from small kiosks and temporary structures. Vicky Acen, a trader at Labuje Market, said the municipality should provide clear information on which structures will be affected before enforcement begins.
“We are not against the municipality bringing order, but we need to know what is considered illegal and where we are expected to move. Many of us have invested money in these businesses, so we need enough time to plan,” Acen said.
Pauline Adong, another dealer in general merchandise at Pager Division, said the municipal authorities should start talking about alternative spaces during their sensitizations, because relocation without alternative trading spaces could affect their livelihoods.
“We depend on these small businesses to support our families. The municipality should identify alternative places to give us enough time to assess them before we relocate,” Adong said. Terrence Omony, a trader at Monbunyu, said physical consultation with traders would help prevent conflict during implementation.
“What we are asking is for the municipality to involve us physically before removing our businesses. If they explain the plan on radio and other media, not many traders will get the chance to ask the relevant questions,” Omony said-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
