Vendors at Kizungu Market in Kasese Municipality say they are struggling to stay in business after a number of their kiosks and containers were destroyed during enforcement of a new trader order issued by the Ministry of Local Government.
Traders complain the municipality’s implementation of the order has left many with significant losses.
The chairman of the market vendors Mr said several businesses have been damaged or rendered inoperable, costing traders both stock and income at a time when many were already operating on thin margins.
Pimako Kasereka, the LCIII chairperson for Nyamwamba Division, criticized the enforcement approach, saying residents and traders were not adequately sensitized about the new regulations or the potential impacts of the crackdown.
Responding to the concerns, Kasese Municipality Deputy Town Clerk Kambasu Zedekia Kairi defended continued enforcement of the new trader order. Kairi said the municipality will persist with operations to implement the directive and warned that anyone unwilling to comply will face fines.
The ultimatum has heightened tensions at Kizungu Market, with traders urging municipal authorities to consider phased enforcement, clearer public sensitization, and compensation or relocation assistance for those whose structures were removed.
As 27th April 2026 deadline approaches, market vendors, local leaders and municipal officials remain at odds over how to reconcile regulatory compliance with the immediate economic needs of affected traders.
