KCCA sets licence fees for markets

Kampala. All proprietors of city public markets will start paying a monthly licence fees to Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).
The new fees are contained in the Kampala Capital City markets Ordinance, 2018, that was passed by the city’s Authority council last week. The fees will be paid according to the grades of markets.
The Authority noted that while there are several existing private markets in the city, they operate illegally.
Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago noted that by gazetting private markets, it will help the Authority to ascertain the number of markets in the city. He also revealed that the already existing private markets will have to register afresh and pay licences so that they can be officially recognised by the Authority.
According to the Ordinance, a grade one market will pay a monthly licence of Shs600, 000, second grade Shs500, 000, third grade Shs400, 000, and fourth grade Shs300, 000 and fifth grade Shs200, 000.
Although the Ordinance does not explain how grades are determined, Mr Kennedy Okello, the chairperson of the audit standing committee, told Daily Monitor that the grades of markets will be set by the directorates of physical planning, and gender and community services after inspection.
He further explained that some of these markets could be permanent, mobile, temporary and seasonal.
“We set the licences as reflected in the Ordinance but the duty to determine the grades of the private markets lies in the hands of the directorates of gender, and physical planning. The grades will be determined according to the working space of a facility,” he said.
Efforts to reach KCCA’s director of gender, Ms Harriet Mudondo, to explain what criteria they will use to determine the grades were futile.
Some of the privately-managed markets in the city include St Balikuddembe, Nakasero market and Kisekka market.
However, the ordinance gives leeway to private investors to establish markets unlike the Kampala City Council markets Ordinance, 2006 which vested the powers of establishment of markets to only municipalities and city authority.