By; Amos Ssemuwemba
Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) members have closed their shops today, July 31, after expressing frustration over the abrupt cancellation of their scheduled meeting with the President. The meeting, originally planned for today, was called off due to renovations at Kololo Independence Grounds, as communicated by Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, via WhatsApp.
Isa Ssekitto, KACITA’s spokesperson, criticized the Minister’s use of WhatsApp for conveying such important news, deeming it disrespectful to the traders who play a vital role in the national economy. He added that traders were informed the meeting would be rescheduled for an unspecified date towards the end of August.
Ssekitto also urged traders to maintain a peaceful protest while addressing their concerns about unfair taxation on textiles and garments, as well as the involvement of manufacturers in retail, which they argue leads to unfair competition.
“We don’t know what’s going on in the country. We don’t understand anything about EFRIS,” Kampala trader Solomon Kisakye on why he won’t re-open his business until President Museveni’s government addresses pleas of Ugandan businesspeople. The traders had previously met with President Museveni on May 7 to discuss similar grievances, particularly related to unfair taxes imposed by the Uganda Revenue Authority and the challenging implementation of the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing System.
