By Arajabu Wampula,
MBALE
Tears and sorrows engulfed street vendors in Mbale City yesterday (March 2, 2026) as authorities, copying leaf from their Kampala counterparts, razed and evicted them off the streets.
The operation visibly copied from Kampala Capital City’s targeted a number of vendors whom authorities accused of abandoning free working spaces in the six available markets.
Geoffrey Mugisha, the Industrial Division Town Clerk who headed the operation said that Mbale Central Market alone has 1,414 unoccupied stalls.
The implementation of the operations, he said is aimed at pushing the street vendors to occupy them hence increasing local tax collections
Authorities last week gave the affected street vendors a five day ultimatum to leave and occupy the empty market stalls which ended on Sunday, prompting the operation.
The operation started in the morning and the council worked in collaboration with Police and other security agencies.
Among the affected groups were those selling clothes,boda boda riders parking in front of the shops, lorry parkers among others.
Although authorities forewarned the public, it’s with evidence that some people ignored the public notice on TVs, radios, social media leading to the losses.
Hamza Banja,the deputy Industrial Division Deputy Resident City Commissioner said that the enforcement team first talks to the vendors to vacate the streets before demolishing illegal makeshifts and evicting them. He reaffirmed that the operations peaceful.
“We request Mbale people to adhere and cooperate with the authorities,” he said.
He added, “Generally the operation has been specified with security operatives,city enforcement teams with help of some graders to dismantle any wrongly constructed area around busy areas for the vendors.”
The development came barely weeks after authorities in Kampala evicted traders off the streets in what they described as restoring trade order.
KCCA in its operation that followed announcements by its executive director and Ministers removed all traders from streets and shifted them to available markets.
Mugisha accused street vendors of turning streets like the former lorry park into markets, making it hard for smooth movements of motorists and pedestrians.
“We have started with various channels “Bikubo” particularly with Lorry park, Foods, North road and we shall proceed in any way possible so that they can be used in their rightful ways,” he said
Authorities say that the ongoing operation is expected to run for a week as they will be moving to various sites.
Similar warnings have been sent to hawkers and other people who are working in wrong places have been implored to vacate before falling victims of the operations.
Besides Mbale Central Market, traders have been asked to occupy spaces in Bugwere Market, Mbale-Soroti Road market popularly known as Kikindu, Kumi Road Market, Busamaga market, among others.
Traders, leaders cry foul
Siraji Luledi, the Village Chairperson of Lwakhakha cell popular known as Lorry park confirmed that all the traders have been paying the council taxes and revenue dues, saying that despite the compliance, all their claims were given a cold shoulder and the authority has gone ahead to demolish people’s businesses.
“They would have come and we would talk to see a way of compensation as over 1000 business people including their workers have lost jobs,” Luledi said.
Ibrah Kayanja, one of the affected businessmen dealing in clothes around Lorry Park expressed displeasure on the way the government is handling the issues of traders. According to him, government has been collecting taxes from traders both in the morning and in the evening, wondering how the same government would turn against its taxpayers.
“You can’t just wake up and ask us to vacate before getting us the right spots to go to. The central market where they’re telling us to go is full of darkness and we won’t make big sales,” he said.
