Kampala Aug. 2—Kampala traders who Wednesday July 31st 2024 embarked on a peaceful sit-down strike by closing their shops protesting President Museveni’s abrupt cancelling of his scheduled meeting with them to discuss and find a solution to their grievances, have cancelled the strike after government intervention.
The traders under their various organisations led by Kampala Capital City Traders Association (KACITA), Wednesday closed their shops especially in the city centre on Kampala road, Ben Kiwanuka street, Nakivubo road, Allen road, Nkruma road, William street and the popular Kikuubo lane and instead decided to sit on the veranda of the shops.
However, business in downtown Kampala was going on normally with shops and markets open and hawkers selling their merchandise at the veranda of closed shops as riot police and military patrolled the streets.
The traders are protesting against the high taxes on imports and the use of Electronic Fiscal Receipting and invoicing system, EFRIS, which traders say it double taxes them while others don’t understand it. They are also protesting against foreign investors dealing in petty businesses supposed to be for the nationals
As the traders vowed to continue with the strike until the president gets time to meet them, Prime Minister Robina Nabbanja summoned leaders of the striking traders and landlords for a meeting to find a solution. Landlords and arcade owners were being accused of closing their denying traders access to their shops as their buildings were under lock and key, which landlords denied before the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Nabbanja also informed the traders that the President is ready to meet them to discuss their grievances and will soon communicate the date and venue and appealed to them to open their shops. The Traders strike had also been tabled in Parliament Thursday evening by the opposition that urged government to stop playing hide and seek game, but intervene and solve the traders grievances.
Some traders were however opposed to the strike and were in favour of holding negotiations as they carry out their businesses.
Police had in the meantime Thursday embarked on a campaign to mobilise traders on megaphones to open up their shops and resume work as Police was ready to give them security. They moved from street to street calling on traders to abandon the strike, “We promise you safety and security if you choose to reopen”, Police officer shouted on megaphones.
After the meeting and assurance of the President’s readiness to meet the traders communicated by the Prime Minister, leaders of the traders’ organisations announced the suspension of the strike Thursday 1st August evening and urged traders to re-open their shops.
This traders’ meeting with President Museveni had been scheduled for June 20th 2024, but was postponed to 31st July 2024, which was again abruptly postponed on excuse that the venue, Kololo Independence grounds was under renovation. Traders rejected the excuse saying that there several other alternative venues which could have been used.
What angered the traders more was that the Minister for Kampala, Minsa Kabanda communicated the postponement of the meeting on a Whatsapp message instead of formally writing to them.
