The Lord Mayor of Kampala City, Mr Erias Lukwago, has urged the different city traders’ associations to unite in the fight against their challenges.
“We want to support you [traders], we are behind you but you need to work in unison to avoid having these frictions amongst yourselves,” Mr Lukwago said.
This follows disagreements among associations such as FUTA, KATA, and their umbrella body, the Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA). This has been evident during several organized traders’ protests against high taxes and other concerns, where some leaders mobilize traders for demonstrations while others call them off before receiving satisfactory responses from the authorities.
Lukwago says that if these leaders cannot agree on a common goal, traders will continue to suffer without government intervention. He also added that Kampala’s political leaders cannot effectively assist traders without a unified voice.
