Tensions are escalating in Kumi Municipality as local authorities issue eviction orders for roadside vendors and bus operators along the Mbale-Kumi-Soroti highway, a bustling stretch that has evolved into a vital hub for small-scale enterprises serving passengers.
The disputed spot not only caters to street vendors but also serves as a central meeting point for boda boda cyclists, taxis, and bus operators involved in loading and unloading passengers.
Kumi Town Clerk, Mr. Joseph Monde Bagonza, justified the eviction orders, citing concerns about safety and sanitation. He mentioned plans to relocate activities to a designated bus terminal to ensure the safety of both vendors and passengers. Bagonza accused vendors of contributing to litter that blocks drainage systems and creates hazards.
“It’s for their own safety to prevent fatal road accidents. Buses are parking on the road, and people who are dealing in selling small items like oranges, chicken are coming into the road, which is dangerous to their lives,” he stated.
However, roadside vendors vehemently oppose the relocation, asserting that their businesses are essential for sustaining their families’ livelihoods and providing crucial services. Mr. Vincent Opolot, a fruit vendor, expressed the sentiment that businesses thrive best at the roadsides, and the proposed relocation threatens their means of survival.
“Some of us are what we are now because of this place. Our children are studying, we provide food and medical care to our children out of the proceeds we get from these businesses that we do on the roadside, and if it’s closed, then our hope and lives will be shattered,” Opolot remarked.
Mr. Salim Okello, another vendor, accused municipal council authorities of attempting to force them back to rural areas, questioning the interference in their businesses.
The District Police Commander, Mr. Twaha Buyinza, urged vendors to adhere to rules and regulations to avoid evictions, emphasizing the importance of compliance for maintaining public order.
The backdrop of the recent decision by Kumi Municipality to address roadside activities reflects similar initiatives from 2010 to 2012 when buses and taxis were directed to relocate to a designated park. Challenges, including substandard park conditions, led to non-compliance and the return of activities to the streets.
