Street vendors in Kisoro Municipality have received a stern warning against conducting their businesses along the Kisoro-Bunagana and Kisoro-Kabale roads. They have been informed that they will face arrest and legal charges if they do so.
This warning is a result of the recently enacted Markets Act of 2023, which stipulates that anyone who contravenes the law is subject to a fine of 480,000 shillings or a six-month jail term.
In an exclusive interview, the Kisoro Municipality Town Clerk, Haruna Kamba, expressed his readiness to enforce the law and advised roadside vendors to comply or face the consequences.
Kamba acknowledged that Kisoro Municipality is a growing town but has been criticized by tourists and other international road users who find the presence of business activities throughout the town displeasing.
He further stated that despite multiple warnings, street vendors have persistently opposed the decisions of the Kisoro Municipal Council to relocate all vendors to established markets.
This opposition has resulted in the loss of millions of shillings due to the destruction of flowers that are regularly planted but damaged by these vendors.
Kamba announced that the police have initiated operations to arrest and detain non-compliant vendors as per the municipal authorities’ instructions. He reported that so far, 12 individuals have been apprehended, with three of them set to face charges in court while the remaining nine have been released.
Nizeyimana Silas, the Chairperson of Kisoro Municipality’s street vendors, had his fruit worth 250,000 shillings confiscated by the municipal authorities during the implementation of the new law. Silas emphasized the need for traders to have designated working areas.
According to the amended Markets Act of 2023, specifically Section 32, part (a), it is prohibited to sell goods outside of designated workplaces, shops, pitches, or stalls, or to exhibit goods for sale on pathways or over drainage channels within the market area.
