Kampala RCC Team Addresses Trader Concerns at Usafi Market Over Working Conditions

Kampala’s Assistant Resident City Commissioner (RCC), Hajjati Zulaika Mubiru, recently visited Usafi Market to evaluate the working conditions of traders and ensure government directives for their welfare are being followed.

The inspection specifically aimed to confirm the implementation of President Museveni’s directives, which include ensuring free access to market toilets, providing affordable electricity through sub-metering, and eliminating rental fees for market stalls.

During her visit, Hajjati Mubiru engaged directly with traders to gather firsthand accounts of their experiences and the obstacles they continue to face, even with recent government interventions.

While traders confirmed the cessation of stall rental fees, they expressed ongoing concerns about other operational costs, particularly those related to garbage collection, which still impact their businesses. “We appreciate the government’s directive on rent, but there are still charges such as garbage collection that affect our businesses,” shared some traders.

Furthermore, traders reported a significant downturn in business activity, resulting in many stalls remaining unoccupied and some being repurposed for sleeping due to a lack of customers. “Many traders abandoned their stalls after business declined. Some of the spaces are no longer being used for trade because there are not enough customers,” a trader explained.

Concerns were also raised that certain government poverty alleviation programs have not effectively reached their intended beneficiaries. In response, Hajjati Mubiru pledged to investigate these issues further to ensure program implementation by local leaders.

The inspection also shed light on internal market leadership and management, with traders attributing delays in addressing critical issues to the market’s poor performance. Kampala RCC Shafic Nsubuga also voiced strong disapproval of the market’s sanitation standards, calling them unacceptable and directing Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) officials to urgently tackle drainage problems and stagnant wastewater.

However, Assistant RCC for Kampala Central Division, Godfrey Kizza, acknowledged progress, noting that the elimination of rent and affordable water services align with the President’s directives aimed at fostering business growth and improving livelihoods.

The RCC team committed to ongoing monitoring to guarantee full compliance with government policies and to ensure traders have a safe and conducive operating environment.

This report is based on information from Nile Post.