Traders in downtown Kampala whose businesses were destroyed by the October 2025 floods have protested at the Office of the Prime Minister, demanding the release of the Shs 20 billion relief fund pledged by President Yoweri Museveni to help them recover their losses.
The traders, who staged the protest on Wednesday morning, carried placards and called for an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, expressing frustration over the delay in disbursing the money nearly a year after the floods disrupted their businesses.
They say the funds would help them restock their shops, resume business and provide for their families, especially as the Christmas shopping season approaches. Wasswa Erasmus, a crafts trader at Nanana Centre, says the prolonged wait has left him struggling to support his family after losing his business in the floods.He says he can no longer afford his children’s school fees, forcing them to stop attending school.
Another affected trader, Sharif Kakama of Totala Building, says he lost his entire shop and has been counting on the promised assistance to rebuild his business. Kakama says the approaching festive season makes the release of the funds more urgent, as traders need money to restock and resume normal operations.
Musa Ssenteza, another trader, vowed that the group would not leave the Office of the Prime Minister until officials provided a clear explanation for the delay.
The protest was later dispersed by police, forcing several traders to flee the scene, while a few were reportedly arrested. In December 2025, President Museveni met some of the flood-affected traders at his home in Kisozi and pledged Shs 20 billion to help them recover from the losses caused by the floods.
The Office of the Prime Minister was tasked with coordinating the disbursement in collaboration with the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). However, the process has been delayed by disagreements over the number of traders eligible for the assistance.
On March 14, 2026, Prime Minister Nabbanja said the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) had participated in verifying the beneficiaries after conflicting figures emerged from lists submitted by KCCA and trader leaders.
The affected traders are now demanding the immediate release of the funds, saying the verification exercise should pave the way for payment. They argue that further delays are worsening their financial difficulties and undermining their efforts to rebuild businesses destroyed by the floods-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
