VENDORS CLEAN-UP! Chaos Looms as Nambooze Moves to Incite Traders Against Evictions
Tension is steadily building in urban centres across Uganda as a looming crackdown on illegal vendors threatens to spark confrontation, with Betty Nambooze Bakireke taking the lead in mobilising resistance.
The Mukono Municipality legislator has moved swiftly to oppose a government directive ordering the eviction of street vendors and unlicensed traders from key towns. The directive, issued by Ben Kumumanya, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, instructs city, district, and municipal authorities to enforce the clean-up as part of efforts to reorganise trade and restore order in urban spaces.
Cities including Kampala, Mbarara, Mbale, and Mukono have already begun implementing the directive, triggering anxiety among thousands of traders whose livelihoods are on the line.
In defiance, Nambooze has convened a crucial meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at Mayor’s Garden in Mukono, where traders are expected to chart a collective response. Sources indicate the mobilisation could spread nationwide, with opposition figures quietly coordinating efforts to resist the evictions.
The move is also seen as a political reawakening strategy for the National Unity Platform (NUP), which has appeared subdued in recent weeks following the departure of its leader, Bobi Wine, who is currently out of the country.
With Mukono widely regarded as an opposition stronghold and security presence reportedly heightened ahead of Yoweri Museveni’s anticipated swearing-in, the situation is increasingly volatile. Security agencies are said to be on standby, raising fears that any confrontation between traders and enforcement teams could quickly escalate into violence.
All eyes are now on Mukono as Tuesday’s meeting could set the tone for what may become a nationwide standoff between authorities and informal traders fighting to protect their livelihoods.
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