By KT Reporter
Kampala’s central business district is showing visible signs of change, with clearer walkways, reduced congestion and renewed use of pedestrian and cycling lanes following the enforcement of trade order regulations by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).
Deputy Executive Director Benon Kigenyi said the results are the product of a strategy that combines dialogue with strict enforcement of the law.
“We have had a flawless enforcement which has not had a problem with violence,” Kigenyi told UBC TV’s Good Morning Uganda Extra. “First we talk to you, educate you, and if you fail, we impound your items, arrest you, and take you to the courts of law.”
The exercise, which began on Feb. 19 following a Feb. 5 directive from the Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, targeted illegal street trading, unregulated transport stages, and the misuse of public infrastructure.
Officials say it has turned Kampala’s downtown from a scene of congestion and disorder into a more orderly, pedestrian-friendly, and safer environment.
Kigenyi said the operation was prompted by worsening conditions in the city center, where vendors had taken over roads, walkways, drainage channels and green spaces, contributing to congestion, sanitation challenges and reduced revenue collection.
“In January, people couldn’t walk freely because of congestion. Now there is order,” Kigenyi said.
The clearance has allowed KCCA to carry out infrastructure upgrades across the central business district. Sidewalks have been repainted, drainage channels repaired, manholes resealed, and green spaces restored. Pedestrians and cyclists are now reclaiming dedicated lanes, and the city’s flow of movement has improved significantly.
To ease the impact on displaced vendors, KCCA rolled out alternative arrangements through formal markets. Over 2,500 workspaces were advertised across 17 public markets in Kampala, along with 1,980 additional spaces in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area, including Mukono, Mpigi, and Wakiso.
Several markets report strong uptake. Usafi Market has filled 891 of 1,000 stalls, Busega Market 419 of 500, and Nateete Market is nearly full, with only 20 spaces remaining. Wandegeya, Nakawa, and Kamwokya markets still have space, while 69 private markets were engaged to expand capacity, prioritizing women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
“KCCA is up to the game to give you a smoother, functional city,” Kigenyi said. “We are listening and will continue engaging to build a city people value, a livable city we can all be proud of. We invite people to invest in Kampala in an orderly manner.”
The authority is also tightening transport management. Taxi operators are required to operate from gazetted parks and terminals, while illegal roadside stages have been banned.
Boda boda operations are being formalized, with 166 of the 929 planned stages approved so far. Officials say over 1,000 illegal parking spaces and a similar number of informal boda boda stages that emerged after the COVID-19 lockdown are being addressed.
Kigenyi said the city is addressing more than 1,000 illegal parking spaces and a similar number of informal boda boda stages that emerged after the COVID-19 lockdown.
KCCA plans to extend enforcement beyond the central business district to areas such as Kabalagala and Busega as part of a broader strategy to cover the city’s 195 square kilometers.
“We are planning to increase enforcement so that we cover more parts of the city,” Kigenyi said.
The operation is anchored in existing laws, including the Trade Licensing Act of 1969, the Kampala Capital City Act (Cap. 195), the Local Governments Act (Cap. 138), and the Street Traders Byelaws.
Kigenyi said ongoing sensitization, training and enforcement discipline have strengthened the process, with officers undergoing continuous capacity-building, including refresher training in Kyankwanzi.
Kigenyi said Kampala’s approach is already influencing other urban authorities across the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area and the whole country.
Describing the initiative as one of the most comprehensive urban reorganization campaigns in recent years, officials said it aims to create a cleaner, safer, and more efficient capital. “Kampala is setting the pace,” Kigenyi said, underscoring the city’s ambition to lead by example.
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