MICHAEL N
Rubaare Town Council leadership, together with the enforcement team led by the Town Clerk and Health Inspector, have this morning begun the implementation of the Trade Order in streets and areas around Rubaare Town Council. The enforcement involved demolishing and destroying all temporary structures, unauthorised buildings without plans, and businesses that display items outside their shops, including traders in kiosks and containers, as well as all street vendors.
However, according to traders affected during the implementation of this Trade Order, they have expressed their dissatisfaction with the implementation team, citing inequality during the destruction of their properties. They say some people’s structures have not been tampered with, yet they are in the same state as those that have been demolished.
Among the most destroyed structures were latrines, where over 30 latrines have been brought down, leaving many streets and families without places to ease themselves.
Residents, including Alien Mbabazi and James Mwesigye, have expressed their concern, noting that diseases may break out since Rubaare Town Council has a large population and many of the latrines have been destroyed.
Ven. Rev. Canon Nelson Behamizo highlighted that during the enforcement of this order, the team demolished structures that were not marked during inspection by the Town Clerk and Health Inspector. He says some larger properties were not touched during implementation, raising suspicions of bribery and corruption.
Speaking to Emmanuel Byamukama, the Town Clerk of Rubaare Town Council, he revealed that the implementation of this Trade Order comes after 14 years that were given to traders to migrate from temporary structures. Emmanuel noted that the latrines that were demolished were temporary, and owners had been warned two years ago to remove these latrines from the streets. He added that landlords should construct permanent latrines for their tenants.
Emmanuel said that before constructing new latrines, landlords should first involve the Town Planner, Health Inspector, and Town Council officials for inspection. He said the implementation of this Trade Order is part of preparations for Rubaare to be elevated to the level of a municipality.
However, although the implementation of this Trade Order was set to begin today in Rubaare Town Council, most vendors and traders operating in unauthorised buildings had already demolished them and moved from the streets to new locations to avoid unnecessary losses. That is why, during implementation, the Town Council has used manual tools such as pangas, axes, hoes, and hammers instead of a tractor.
