Street shoppers 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 city businessman and six other people.

Mr Ssenyonga was on Monday evening arrested by the Kampala Capital City Authority law enforcement officers as he was trying to bargain for a pair of stockings along William Street.

He was then later taken to City Hall Magistrates court along with six other persons who had also been arrested for buying from street vendors. They were Mr Brian Ssenyonga, Mr Salim Musoke, Pamera Nanyondo, Faisal Ssekamya, Severino Bushoborozi, Ibrahim Sserwanga and Neety Sigh an Indian national who was sentenced to a caution because she was new in the country.

They were all convicted on Wednesday by City Hall Grade One Magistrate, Mr Erias Kakooza and sentenced to one- and-a half-hour community service for 10days after pleading guilty to aiding hawking an offence contrary to Section 16 (1) Cap 101 of the Trading Licensing Act.

Whiledelivering his verdict, Mr Kakooza said the convicts serve as example to others who constrain the developments of the city.

Speaking to Daily Monitor online, Mr Peter Kaujju, the KCCA spokesperson, said carrying out any trade or commercial activity in the city must be authorized by the authority and in a designated area.

He said: “Some of the convicts will do community work in City Hall gardens while others will today help in cleaning at Kitezi Landfill.”

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.

Upon his conviction, Mr Dong told that he was feeling uneasy, yet there was no public toilet within proximity and that he will pay the fine to secure his freedom.