Kabale traders demolish kiosks after ultimatum
Some traders demolishing their Kiosk shops after the expiry of the one month ultimatum on Wednesday. PHOTO | ROBERT MUHEREZA.
What you need to know:
- Lawrence Twinomugisha, chairman of the kiosk owners, disputed the allegations, saying the eviction was malicious.
Dozens of frustrated traders operating next to Kabale hospital premises on Makanga hill in Kabale town began demolishing their kiosks on Wednesday after the expiry of a one-month ultimatum issued by the Kabale district security committee and Kabale municipal council authorities.
Kabale Resident District Commissioner Godfrey Nyakahuma, who chairs the district security committee, said the order to remove the kiosks came after the hospital administration complained about issues such as selling alcohol to patient attendants, storage of stolen medicines, congestion at the hospital's main gate, and the kiosks being a hiding place for suspected wrongdoers.
"After receiving complaints from the Kabale hospital administration, we convened a district security committee meeting that recommended the removal of these kiosk shops and relocation of the traders to other markets," Mr. Nyakahuma said. He added that the Kabale municipal council had stopped collecting trading licenses from the traders due to hygiene issues and operating in the wrong location.
However, Lawrence Twinomugisha, chairman of the kiosk owners, disputed the allegations, saying the eviction was malicious. "Personally, I have been operating a shop and salon for about 30 years without any criminal incidents. The allegations are not true, and instead of evicting us, security operatives should have arrested the culprits," Mr. Twinomugisha said.
Patient attendants expressed concern that the removal of the kiosks would cause them inconvenience, as they would have to walk about 2km to reach the central market for essential items. "These kiosk shops have been helping us a lot... Demolishing them will not only affect the traders but also us, the patient attendants," said Generous Kyomukama.
Other patient attendants, including Venansi Mugisha and Margret Tibasima, echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the importance of the kiosks in providing quick access to essential items like food, clean water, and mobile money services.
