Traders and buyers in Kaja market

I managed to talk to a few people who vendor in kaja who expressed their hardships and what they have to go through. “It was 7pm  in the evening, the pick-up for Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) pulled up near kaja. We started gathering our things trying to escape, but my things were many. So they caught me, put me on the pick up along with some of the shoes I was selling. They don’t give you time to gather all you things, they pull you like a thief and put you in the back of their pickup,” John Matovu , one of the vendors in kaja. He adds that, the day KCCA caught him, he lost at least 10pairs of shoes. A terrible experience he reminisces.

Kaja is a small space so most vendors end up having to put their merchandise in the road and battle for space with taxis and other vehicles. While it might not be your usual shopping mall, kaja attracts many vendors and buyers alike. When asked, a buyer who declined to mention their name said, kaja is the best in terms of savings. “Here things are cheap and there is a variety, instead of having to go to Grand Corner (a shopping mall in Kampala) looking for clothes and shoes, I just come to kaja and am sorted,” he says with a visibly beaming smile.

Woman trying on shoes in ‘kaja’ downtown Kampala

Kaja is indeed a cheap place to shop. I have managed to shop a few things there myself. But it is not all rainbows and sunshine. Due to pedestrian traffic and tight space, people are always pushing shoving one another.Beside in an attempt to get customers, the vendors will pull your hand until it feels like it might just fall off.

However, this not the only mishap. Like John said, there is a problem of KCCA. One the particular night when i decided to also buy myself a pair of good second hand clothes, KCCA officials drove up on a pick up and vendors started running, some buyers got knocked down in the process. KCCA officials ran after some vendors who had their merchandise in the road, cuffed them by their shirt necks and threw them on the pick-up truck, picked up some of their merchandise and threw it on a waiting pick-up truck. They then drove off with at least five vendors whose faces were drowning in worry. To me this was a terrible sight.

According to Nixon Segawa, he says such treatment to vendors by KCCA officials has been triggered by Betty Kamya, the Minister for Kampala whom he says ordered that, ‘an illegal street vending activity will not be allowed and that the government therefore has directed all street vendors to vacate streets.’ Last year police and KCCA councilors started the practice of man handling illegal street vendors.

KCCA officials vacating vendor

But while KCCA chasing them off the streets is the biggest problem, it is not the only problem for vendors. Semanga, a vendor in ‘kaja’ also says it is difficult  sometimes when the sun is too hot and also during rainy seasons. He notes that sometimes customers only come to window shop but don’t actually buy anything.

Like most of us, these vendors have families, some of which they support. This means they depend on the sales they make in kaja to be able to sustain their families.

When asked why he chose to sell his merchandise in kaja, Abdul Musoke, a vendor said, “I don’t have money to start a shop, I know my pocket and I cannot afford a shop,”he argues. He says kaja is the only place where he can manage to make some few pennies.

He however, says KCCA officials need to be lenient and considerate with them. “We would like them to give us good time when we can sell our merchandise on the street. We also need to make money, while we would like to operate in the law, these times are hard, we need to make money, and if they take the money then we are left with going back to the village where life is not good,” Abdul explains.

The post Tales of Kampala’s street vendors at Kaja market in down town city first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

With due respect, Prof George Kanyeihamba’s news article that the speaker of Uganda Parliament Ms Rebecca Kadaga erred in refusing to recall Parliament” published in The Daily Monitor of 3 February, 2013, was as naïve as the reference to Speaker Wapakhabulo’s 1998 ruling on withdrawal of signatures for petitions submitted to the Speaker. For such bold rulings, Wapa’s popularity soared through the roof, ending his Speakership!

To her credit, Kadaga attempted a spirited resistance against president Museveni’s position on the recall of parliament, and like Wapa, naively assumed that Parliamentary Rules of Procedure were all the ammunition she needed! Like Wapa, her popularity hit the roof, but her “real” Speakership is in serious balance!

I have argued in many fora that Uganda’s problem is not Museveni per se, but the influence he wields arising out of a Constitution that was deliberately designed to enable him win political battles (of importance to him), and after a protracted twenty years’ struggle to become President of Uganda, Museveni knew the exact kind of Constitution he needed to be President for a long time. The general view that the “Benjamin Odoki Commission” is responsible for the Constitution of Uganda is another naivety!

Uganda’s Constitution fuses Government and the State, trapping both under the President’s patronage, by making him appoint holders of all decision-making positions in this country, the result of which, 20% of Parliament (10 soldiers and 70 Ministers) are directly appointed by the President, while common sense tells the rest to keep off the collision path with him because he holds the key to life after Parliament. This is not farfetched considering that the President appointed all NRM politicians who lost in the Party Primaries and National Elections to the numerous Government and State offices at his disposal. That gives him the necessary clout to influence public officials. Moreover, it makes his own job is secure, since he appoints the Electoral Commissioners, top Judicial and finance officials, as well as top police and army officials.

Kadaga, on the other hand was armed with just the Parliamentary Rules of Procedure and 10 vocal MPs!

We need to wake up to the fact that what made Wapakhabulo resign as Speaker of Parliament to take up the considerably lowly position of NPC, is what made Ssekandi play ball as Speaker, and is what influenced Kadaga’s decision not to recall parliament – the formidable clout of the President, largely bestowed on him by the Constitution of Uganda.

Because the President appoints, at his discretion, officials in charge of all State institutions, he necessarily has immense influence on the institutions. It is in the interest of each institutional leadership in this country to perpetuate Museveni’s reign because by so doing, they guarantee their own perpetuity!

Key democracy and accountability institutions like the judiciary, parliament, police, Electoral Commission, IGG, Auditor General, DPP and the Human Rights’ Commission should never be put in a position where they owe favours. But Uganda’s Constitution does just that by having them appointed by the President, at his discretion!

In order for those institutions to function independently, a conclusive environment must be provided for them, like advertising the top jobs and filling them through an open, competitive process, so that they do not owe their jobs to anybody.

Kenya achieved this through the 2010 national referendum that led to a constitutional amendment that requires the offices of Chief Justice, Deputy Chief Justice, Judges, Electoral Commission and Inspector General of Police to be advertised and filled through an open competitive process. Uganda must do the same.

Beti Kamya-Turwomwe

Chief Petitioner for a National Referendum to trim the Powers of the President and she is also the President of Uganda Federal Alliance

ENDS

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Uganda Federal Alliance (UFA) president, Betty Olive Kamya has warned Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago of interfering with Kampala Executive director, Jennifer Musisi’s work inKampala.

Kamya who is also the former MP for Lubaga North says that Lukwago should leave Musisi to do her work as he does his because the people of Kampala want services but not wars between Musisi and Lukwago.

She says that Lukwago and Musisi have better chance to improveKampalaif they work together. Kamya says that power struggles would ruin the city andUgandaat large.

Kamya further accuses Lukwago of inciting violence amongst taxi operators and UTODA saying such acts don’t portray him as a good leader.

However Lukwago says he criticises the manner in which KCCA and Ms Musisi as a person conducts KCCA activities. The Lord Mayor says that Musisi conducts duties meant to be executed by the lord mayor without the consent of the Lord Mayor.

The post Betty Kamya backs Musisi against Lukwago first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The electoral commission decided to meet Betty Kamya today five days back. The electoral commission chief,Eng.Badru Kiggundu wanted Kamya to tell the commission the best approach towards the party’s interest to organise the referendum in 2015.

The meeting between the electoral commission officials and Betty Kamya took place today at 10:00am at the head offices of the electoral commission.

The 1995 constitution ofUgandaunder Article 74(3) allows the commission to organise a referendum on any given issue of national concern. Betty Kamya says that her party is currently mobilizing Ugandan voters to sign on documents requesting the commission to organise the referendum.

By Christine Kate

The post Betty Kamya meets Uganda Electoral Commission officials first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The members who included the party spokesman, Beker Byayi gave Kamya a green light to continue with her international fundraisation campaign which will end in Europe .

Kamya was recently in US and Europe where she managed to collect a out 500 million shillings at federal dinners. The members told Kamya that she organises another federal dinner in London to raise about 600 million shillings for the party’s forthcoming delegates conference.

By James Okello

The post Betty Kamya in fundraising drive to run Uganda federal alliance first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Kamya has told our informers that last time she lost the polls because she did not have enough money and she was new entrant in the field.

She says that this time she has mastered all the loopholes which made her to lose the presidential polls and so Ugandans should expect her to be their next president after Museveni in 2016. Kamya was talking to our informers at her home in Kampala.

Kamya says that she is currently working with people who have money and they are ready to contribute towards her cause. Kamya was the only woman who contested in last presidential polls and she was 4^th in the race of five men and one woman.

By Maureen Nakyanzi

The post Kamya says she will contest for president again first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Betty Kamya to stand for MP

Kamya’s plans come as the area MP Singh Katongole is battling an election case filed against him by DP’s Moses Kasibante.

Kamya who contested for president during last February’s presidential campaigns has been quoted by her political pals as saying ‘I am currently reorganizing my structures.’

In fact Kamya when contacted said she is still active in the politics of Lubaga North. Kamya says that the people of Lubaga still request her to run for parliament. Uganda politicians…from Presidential candidate to Parliamentary candidate.

But the High Court recently ruled that Kasibante was the winner and the by-elections is not expected unless Singh appeals the ruling.

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