Minister for Local government, Hon. Raphael Magyezi on April 9, 2025 convened a stakeholders’ meeting in which he listened to grievances raised by traders against councilors who illegally allocated themselves more than three lockups in Kitooro Taxi Park.
While addressing traders in Kitooro Taxi Park, Minister Magyezi said it’s so absurd that some councilors allocated themselves lockups and space to mount their kiosks in a government Taxi Park yet they knew very well this amounts to conflict of interest.
It’s against this backdrop that the minister ordered all councilors and technocrats who illegally acquired lockups in Kitooro Taxi Park to surrender them to the Town clerk with immediate effect.
He also ordered council to demolish all the illegal kiosks mounted in Kitooro Taxi Park and Kitooro market before April 14, 2025 and ordered the culprits to pay costs for demolition.
“Demolish all the illegal kiosks in Kitoro Taxi Park and Kitoro market. This should be done by the owners before April 14, 2025 and in case they don’t remove them, council should remove them and give them the bill to pay, ‘said Minister Magyezi.
The Minister also ordered the Entebbe Division police Commander, Steven Twinomugisha to arrest all councilors and their agents who were involved in extorting money from innocent traders and prosecute them in courts of Laws over corruption.
Those arrested during the meeting include councilor Jackie Mirembe (Secretary for Finance Division ‘B’) and Lovi Mangeni Wandera (Chairperson Kitoro Taxi park traders) while those who fled the meeting and eluded arrest include Mariam Nalwoga (NRM Chairperson Division ‘B’), Councilor Yasin Ssemanda Kyeyune, Osapele (broker), and Aisha Nansubuga (broker).
However, the Minister ordered the Gombolola Internal Security officer and the parish internal security officer to arrest the suspects who are currently on run and take them to police for interrogations before prosecuting them in courts of Laws over corruption.
Minister Magyezi advised Entebbe Stages conductors and Drivers Association and Fly Express Taxi operators to reconcile and agree to work together in Kitooro Taxi Park so as to bolster business in the newly constructed Kitoro Taxi Park.
“I want to harmonize taxi business in Entebbe and I’m going to meet the works Minister Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala and we discuss this burning issue and I hope to harmonize the two groups. We have one Uganda, one president and therefore because of disagreement can’t stop you from working in Kitooro Taxi Park.
“After meeting Gen. Katumba Wamala, then we shall meet the two taxi groups at our level as Ministers and resolve the protracted bickering between them. I know each group has some good things and we shall find a way of harmonizing both groups together with municipal council authority, “Minister Magyezi pledged to harmonize taxi operators.’
On the design of Kitooro market, Minister Magyezi pledged to improve on it such that customers can easily access all market vendors operating within the market.
“Access to lockups inside the market shall be handled to ensure that vendors can display their items. Parking for customers should also be free and we shall review the issue of charging parking for customers because it’s not a crime to park and enter the market to buy commodities. My technical team will look at the design of the market, ‘Minister Magyezi said.
‘The Town clerk should register all the vendors in Entebbe Municipality and we shall enter them into our system and this will enable us to know those who pay taxes and those who don’t pay so that we evict defaulters.
‘I have banned hawking in Entebbe with immediate effect. All traders should operate in gazetted places like Taxi Park, market or a shop where one pays trade license. The current Law does not permit street vending and this ended in 2023. If you are hawker without where to operate from, you better leave Entebbe and try somewhere else. You have only this week and next week effective April 14, 2025, we shall enforce a Trade order to restore sanity in the business sector. All vendors must operate either in the taxi park or in the market.
“All open markets should stop a bit as we first fix issues within Kitoro and Central market. We need to first stabilize these two markets and later we can gazetted a market day but we shall not kill our markets by allowing markets everywhere. Whoever wants to start a market should first get permission from council ‘Minister Magyezi directed.
On the issue of rent charges in the Taxi Park and Kitooro market, Minister Magyezi directed the mayor and his executive committee to review the rates to affordable levels for traders
‘The rates are exorbitant and unaffordable to our traders. If the rates are low they can attract more traders and council would be able to generate more money. So, review those rates and submit them to me for approval, “Minister Magyezi tasked the council.
The Minister also gave one week to Entebbe Municipal Engineer Christine Nanfuka to avail him with the arrears for electricity and water bills for Kitooro market.
“The municipal engineer should visit the market and establish the required works to ensure no more darkness in the market. You should submit the electricity and water bills to the Town Clerk , and I want to see them within one week. I want to see that the market has electricity and water supply as required. Make sure you reinstall cameras that were uninstalled by unscrupulous persons,” said Minister Magyezi.’
The Minister continued: “Zoning in the market is required and you must restore public speakers in the market for communication purposes. Zoning is so vital because it enables a customer to know where specific commodities are sold. I therefore, direct the Town clerk to put back these zones and label them properly to enable buyers to locate specific merchandise.
“We shall implement zoning in the market as part of our efforts aimed at improving the working environment in the market. And as a government, we shall support traders to improve their businesses through our available funding programs, ‘Hon. Magyezi gave hope to financially depressed traders.
“Since Josephine Nakijjoba –the Market master for Kitoro market has become unpopular among traders, the Town clerk should redeploy her elsewhere and immediately replace her with another person, “Hon. Magyezi gave a directive.
Hon. Magyezi announced that effective April 14, 2025, Entebbe Municipality will implement a Trade Order and pledged to return on that day to officially launch it.
“Under the Trade order, we shall ensure we promote transparency. And if you know you have been corrupt, illicitly extorting money from people-you better repent before God. We shall implement the law against corruption, and we want to eradicate corruption within Entebbe because it’s too much. Whoever extorted money from traders should return it to the owners.
“The issue of good will does not work on government property. So, you can’t claim you bought a government facility on good will and then you start extorting money from people. Whoever paid money to any councilor should demand for it. We shall open up cases against the corrupt people.
‘The Law does not allow anyone to sub-rent a lockup and in case you want to leave, you vacate and return it to the Town clerk and that is the procedure. I have come here to restore order in the Entebbe business community,’ Minister Magyezi stated.’
The Wakiso Resident District Commissioner, Justine Mbabazi, underscored the need for togetherness in order to be able to redevelop Kitoro market that is currently struggling.
The Entebbe Municipality Legislator, Hon. Micheal Kakembo Mbwatekamwa, asked the Town Clerk to give guidance on the laws governing the municipality in addition to taking a lead in the implementation of the Trade order. He also appealed to the Town Clerk to inspect the town every morning to establish what happens on the ground and to do his job independently without any manipulation or influence.
The Entebbe Division ‘B’ LC3 Chairperson Richard Sekyondo, who is also accused by traders of allocating self lockups, welcomed the meeting with the minister saying such engagements remind him on what should be done in the right way.
The Entebbe Municipal Town Clerk Emmanuel Gacharo Mugisha, pledged to effectively implement the Minister’s directive.
