KCCA gives owners terms for reopening city arcades

A trader ponders her next move after Kampala Capital City Authority sealed off shops and various shopping malls on Monday citing lack of hygiene. PHOTO: STEPEHEN WANDERA

What you need to know:

Traders were stranded outside the closed buildings with hopes that the city authorities would open the buildings for them to resume business

Kampala.

Disconnect the pumps, close the spring water sources, clear National Water and Sewerage Corporation bills and write a commitment letter declaring never to stealthily extract underground water.

These are the conditions Kampala Capital City Authority has set if the proprietors of the closed buildings would like them reopened.
The conditions were reached in an impromptu meeting held at City Hall, between KCCA health inspection officials and the owners of the buildings that were closed on Sunday.

KCCA on Sunday closed several buildings, accusing their owners of extracting untreated underground water and supplying it for public usage. These were Naigga Complex, Qualicell Bus Terminal, Cooper Complex, Mini Price Arcade, Galiraaya, ABC Guesthouse, Juba Inn and Light House Hotel.

KCCA director of health and environment, Dr David Sseruka, said they had also issued notices to other 10 building owners to check on the general cleanliness of their facilities or they also face closure.

“If the building owners implement in our presence the signed conditions, we shall open their malls; short of that it may take long to allow them open the buildings,” Dr Sseruka told journalists at a conference yesterday.

However, some of the proprietors, including Mr John Bosco Muwonge, and Mr Drake Lubega, accused KCCA of closing their buildings without ascertaining facts on the usage of the alleged untreated extracted underground water. “The alleged untreated water was used only to flush toilets, not anywhere as it is alleged by KCCA officials,” said Mr Lubega.

Traders were stranded outside the closed buildings with hopes that the city authorities would open the buildings for them to resume business.