Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, has ordered all street vendors, hawkers, taxi drivers and boda boda riders to vacate the streets of Kampala with immediate effect.
Addressing the media in Kampala,Minsa Kabanda said the directive targets individuals operating on roads, pavements and other non-gazetted spaces, particularly within the Central Business District (CBD).
The Minister said the continued occupation of walkways and roads by informal traders and transport operators had undermined urban order, public safety and sanitation.
She said those fail to to adhere to the directive will be arrested by team of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), enforcement and security agencies.
According to the minister the crackdown will focus on key streets and road corridors within the CBD that have been heavily affected by congestion and unregulated activity. These include Ben Kiwanuka Street, Luwuum Street, Namirembe Road, Nakivubo Road and Allen Road, among others.
Kabanda said alternative, free trading spaces are available in KCCA- managed markets across the city’s divisions. for vendors to occupy.
According to the minister the move is part of broader efforts to restore order in the city, improve cleanliness, ease traffic congestion and enhance public safety. Street vending is a crucial, yet illegal, source of livelihood for thousands in Kampala, providing affordable goods while causing significant, ongoing conflicts with KCCA . Vendors, often facing harassment, confiscation of goods, and, as of February 2026, intensified evictions, operate due to high unemployment, while authorities demand they move to designated, sometimes scarce, market space
Street vending serves as a primary income source for many, offering affordable products—food, clothes, and household items—to low-income earners.
KCCA enforcement officers regularly conduct raids to remove vendors from roads and walkways, often confiscating merchandise. As of February 5, 2026, the Minister for Kampala, Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, ordered an immediate, zero-tolerance, joint enforcement operation by KCCA and police to clear the streets.
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) faces significant revenue gaps, with roughly 85% of traders finding street vending more lucrative than in licensed, zoned markets Total tax non-compliance in Kampala’s business sector was estimated at approximately shs 10 billion) in 2022