Street buyers sentenced to community service
A street vendor sells goods to pedestrians in Kampala. KCCA says vendors are not authorised to sell the merchandise on the streets. Photo by Michael Kakumirizi
What you need to know:
They all pleaded guilty and were convicted of aiding hawking, an offence contrary to Section 16 (1) Cap 101 of the Trading Licencing Act and were sentenced to community service.
Kampala- The next time you go shopping on Kampala streets, beware that you could be paying your way to prison just like Mr Brian Ssenyonga, a businessman, discovered.
Mr Ssenyonga was arrested by Kampala Capital City Authority law enforcement officers on Monday evening as he was trying to bargain for a pair of stockings on William Street.
He was then later taken to City Hall Magistrates Court along with six others.
They all pleaded guilty and were convicted of aiding hawking, an offence contrary to Section 16 (1) Cap 101 of the Trading Licencing Act and were sentenced to community service.
Ms Neety Sigh, an Indian national, was sentenced to a caution because she was new in the country.
Mr Peter Kaujju, the KCCA spokesperson, yesterday said carrying out any trade activity in the city must be authorised by the body and in a designated area.
“KCCA does not issue any permits for street vending.
However, one of the biggest challenges we still face in fighting this vice is that the general public in the city continues to support the illegal activities of vendors and hawkers by continuing to buy their merchandise fully aware that KCCA condemns this practice,” Mr Kaujju said.
Meanwhile, the same court sentenced Mr Ronald Dong, 40, to a fine of Shs300, 000 and in defaulting spent four months in Luzira for easing himself on a city street
The convict pleaded guilty to being a nuisance when he urinated in a public place.
Prosecution alleged that on June 16, 2014 this year along Spring Road Bugolobi, Kampala district the convict was arrested by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) law enforcing agents when they saw him shamelessly urinating on the road an offence against the city maintenance of law and order regulations.
