KCCA Awaits Cabinet Directive to Clear Traders From Building Basements

The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has addressed the ongoing debate regarding commercial trading in building basements, describing the practice as a long-standing challenge inherited by the current administration. The authority is currently waiting for formal guidance and an extract of the relevant Cabinet minute before enforcing a directive that requires traders operating in underground spaces to vacate.

According to KCCA spokesperson Daniel Nuwabiine, while the directive has been received, the authority needs proper documentation to guide its implementation. Many businesses have occupied these basement spaces for years, establishing a status quo that current officials must now navigate.

Nuwabiine noted that the new directive provides a significant opportunity to strengthen the existing legal framework. It ensures that current office bearers do not perpetuate the practice of allowing commercial activities in unapproved areas, which often pose safety risks.

The enforcement timing coincides with a difficult period for many business owners and property landlords, who are still recovering from severe flooding that impacted parts of Kampala recently, destroying property and disrupting livelihoods.

Before taking action, KCCA plans to engage closely with affected stakeholders. This consultative approach will be spearheaded by the authority’s political leadership alongside the central government.

Ultimately, KCCA aims to restore building basements to their originally approved architectural purposes, such as vehicle parking, storage facilities, or other designated utilities authorized by building control officers, rather than retail shops.

For more details on this story, read the original report on Nile Post.