By Sadique Bamwita
Kampala
The State Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs Kyofatogabye Kabuye, has today February 19,2026, issued a- one day ultimatum to all market vendors operating on the streets and roads in Kampala City to vacate their areas of operation by 8pm today without any excuses.
Min Kyofatogabye Kabuye sounded his warning while speaking to gathered reporters at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala Capital City. He told the media that street vendors or hawkers who decline to follow the directive will have their products seized in addition to parading them in courts of law.
“ I have set today February 19th at 8pm for all , vendors to leave Kampala streets, I repeat vendors and in fact taxi operators who operate along the roads should have left and moved all your items, all your rubbish that you brought on the streets that were facilitating your activities,” angry Kyofatogabye warned.
He reiterated that: “At the stroke of midnight today, vendors found trading illegally on walkways, roads, road islands, medians or other ungazetted areas will have their items impounded after which they will be taken to courts of law where necessary”.
Angry Kyofatogabye warned that taxi operators who pick up passengers along the roads and Boda Boda riders operating without designated stages are also expected to comply with the directive noting that some of the ‘good’ vendors and taxi operators had started vacating the city centre voluntarily on Thursday February 19, 2026.
“This was our major objective and intention of not deploying today but of course we have invisible eyes in place today as we try to prepare the operational activities,” he said.
Kyofatogabye further appealed to all vendors to vacate the streets peacefully and move to the selected private markets in Kampala to operate from there before the authority enforces the ban.
“Street vendors have been engaged directly and informed about the transition in the 17 KCCA markets and the available spaces totalling to 2,520 at the time. They were provided with contacts of operators of the 69 private markets in Kampala as well as for those in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area” Minister Kyofatogabye revealed.
