Lira market vendors protest delayed relocation of street vendors

LIRA– Lira Main Market vendors in Lira City are protesting the delayed reallocation of other vendors operating on the nearby streets, saying they are losing business to their rivals who don’t pay taxes, rent, and other fees.

In March 2022, Lira City Council authorities gave the street vendors an ultimatum of one month to leave the streets, a directive rejected by the more than 500 street vendors selling tomatoes, sweet bananas, and second-hand clothes.

On Monday, market vendors locked up the main entrances to the market as they moved their merchandise to display on different streets in the city, blaming the city authorities for failing to remove vendors from the city streets.

There was a scuffle between the street vendors and market vendors, which forced the police to fire teargas canisters into the air to disperse the rowdy vendors.

Sam Angany, who sells second-hand shoes in the market said street vending has affected their businesses.

“The number of street vendors is overwhelming and we have been requesting the city authorities to relocate these vendors because their stay in front of the main market has affected our business. Imagine we pay a lot of taxes but the street vendors do not pay taxes that is why we are protesting,” he said.

Another vendor Lillian Jolly Angwec, a fishmonger said she borrowed a loan of Shs 2.5 million and started her business but she is gaining almost nothing. “I started this business with a seed capital of Shs 2.5mln but my capital has reduced to less than Shs 1.8mln No one is coming to buy my fish, customers are buying from the street vendors and I am so annoyed, “she said.

Daniel Engwedo, the vice chairperson Lira Main Market Vendors blamed the city authorities for their reluctance to reallocate the street vendors.

“We sat in a meeting last month and petitioned the City Clerk and the relevant authorities, requesting for reallocation of the street vendors but no one bothered to reply and so we had no option than protesting,” he told this reporter in a telephone interview on Monday.

Lira City Clerk and the North Kyoga Regional Police Spokesperson Jimmy Patrick Okema declined to comment on the matter saying they were out of office by the time of compiling this story.

However, Lawrence Egole, the Resident City Commissioner Lira City said, “Yes, there was a small misunderstanding between Lira Main Market Vendors and the street vendors. The traders in the market brought their merchandise on streets and there was a scuffle between the two sides. Two or three canisters of teargas were fired but as I talk right now there is calm and business has returned to normal.”

Egole said street vending has caused inconveniences and congestion in Lira city.

“Street vending has caused a lot of inconveniences and congestion in Lira City, especially in the areas around the main market. I want to request the street vendors to secure stalls inside the main market or occupy some of the gazetted open markets like Ireda, Junior Quarters, Gomba Lira, and Camp Swahili,” he said.

Tom Omara, one of the street vendors argued that the gazetted markets are far from town which makes them inaccessible to customers.  “The gazetted markets they are talking about is not favoring us. Our small business is fit here and we are going nowhere,” he said.

Richard Okello, Lira principal commercial officer promised to use all avenues available to reallocate the street vendors to the designated markets, calling for patience from the main market vendors and their customers.

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