By Ijjo David,
NATIONAL:
Maj.Gen Jim Muhwezi, the Minister of security and Member of parliament for Rujumbura County, Rukunjiri District has cautioned district and city security cordinators not to allow hawking of items for trade in villages, attributing the act to a tactic used by criminals and a security threat.
In a letter addressed to all RDCs, RCCs, DPCs and DISOs on Tuesday 11th, Muhwezi said that he had received information of criminals moving around especially in Western region, masquerading to be Hawkers and traders.
“We have received information that there are criminals moving around villages especially in Western region, masquerading/pretending to be Hawkers/Traders.
According to minister Muhwezi, the practice of selling items in villages should not be allowed as it is a source of insecurity.
He urged that those who want to hawk should do it only in trading centres.
The ban comes hardly after less than a week when government issued a directive banning hawkers and roadside vendors in urban areas like Kampala City are facing evections, arbitrary arrests and convictions to stop them from conducting businesses in the city.
Yesterday, police and the army were heavily deployed in down town Kampala arresting hawkers and vendors who had gone to conduct their businesses in town to earn a living.
Hudu Hussein, the Resident City Commissioner of Kampala said the move is aimed at decongesting the city while authorities at the city hall, KCCA accuse city administrators of illegal operations and evictions of what they refer to as “Omuntu wa Wansi” – the poor hawkers.
RCC Hudu maintained that they are not evicting vendors but advised them to occupy stalls that are in city government markets such as USAFI, St. Balikuddembe formerly Owino, Kasubi, Wandegeya among others. He threatened to destroy all mobile outlets / lock ups that are erected allover the city and make arrests to defiant vendors.
The operation according to government insiders is intended to expand to other urban areas outside the Kampala Metropolitan and the minister’s letter to ban hawkers in villages is more less an implementation of unearthed government plans to stop hawking business across the country.
