Some of the closed arcades in downtown Kampala over traders strike yesterday. Photo/ISAAC KASAMANI
Traders in Kampala last evening ended their two-day strike that commenced on Wednesday, triggered by an abrupt cancellation of their meeting with President Museveni.
Mr Thadeaus Musoke, the chairperson of Kampala Capital City Traders Association (KACITA), announced the move at a media briefing at their offices in Kampala yesterday.
“I wanted to use this opportunity to clarify what brought about the demonstration. It was the way the Minister of Kampala handled the communication. She sent us just a voice note, as if she were communicating with a boyfriend, which is inappropriate, given that traders are major stakeholders in the economy of this country,” Mr Musoke told journalists and traders at the press briefing.
“We thought the government was taking us for granted. And she emphasised the submission of proposals without addressing the challenges we have been discussing with the government, which we clearly presented to the President. That’s why the traders had to communicate in a more peaceful way,” he said.
“After a special meeting, the President instructed the Prime Minister today to find a possible way of harmonising the challenges and possibly stopping the demonstration. Traders, landlords, security personnel, and other government agencies were represented in the meeting,” Mr Musoke added.
The traders want to meet President Museveni to get the government’s final stance on their demands, including temporary suspension of the implementation of the Electronic Fiscal Receipting System being implemented by the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) for at least one year. They also demand a review of the different taxes, and immediate removal of foreigners, especially Chinese, from running shops downtown and elsewhere.
But after two days of standoff between government and traders, the businesspeople yesterday ended their strike after the government committed to addressing their issues.
Prior to the press briefing, Mr Issa Sekitto, the spokesperson of KACITA, attended a meeting at the Office of the Prime Minister, which was chaired by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja.
The meeting was also attended by other officials, who included Kampala Minister Minsa Kabanda, Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka, a section of landlords, arcade owners, and traders’ leaders.
At the meeting, the landlords accused KACITA of misleading innocent traders yet they are the ones missing out.
Mr Godfery Kirumira, the chairperson of the landlords, said: “I want to assure you that we had a meeting with the Prime Minister. As landlords, we did not have any issues. The issue has been KACITA. As traders, we are not involved. So we ask you to reopen because it is you losing out. For us, we shall come for rent at the end of the month.”
Another landlord said: “We are at this level because of Sekitto. As landlords, we lose out whenever these shops are closed. As landlords we have not closed our shops and that should be made clear.”
At the meeting Ms Nabbanja reportedly said that the government would today gazette the regulations that would guide landlords and tenants on their operations.
After the meeting, Mr Sekitto and the KACITA leadership met the traders and presented to them a commitment statement from the President that urged the traders to reopen their shops.
“We have brought a statement from the government that we wanted. Some traders here work with the government. When we decide to close, they will open their shops, and they have their freedom. These are the ones who reported us, saying we forced you to close,” he said.
Mr Sekitto informed the traders that security officials at OPM surrounded him during the meeting but he did not shy away from listing their grievances to the officials.
“I went to explain our demands to them. During the meeting, the Prime Minister said the President wants to meet us in large numbers, not just as leaders, because we represent a large group. She said the President is still investigating, and here is the statement from the president,” he said.
“We caution all traders to collaborate because these taxes are affecting us all. We announced a strike; however, most of the shops closed, including mine, but some of you opened. What do you want us to do? Do you want us to start chasing you to close? We won’t do that. We won’t force you to close if you don’t want to,” he said.
He said it is not true that the traders are not holding the government to ransom but their issues are pressing.
Compiled by Busein Samilu, Karim Muyobo & Damalie Mukhaye
