Traders in Nakasero Market have appealed to Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to oversee the election of a new leadership of the market. KCCA is the authority in charge of the market. 

According to the traders, without a clear leadership, matters of security and sanitation of the market have been unattended to, leading to a poor working environment in the market.        

In November 2022, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka visited Nakasero Market as part of her continuous engagement with the market, traders, vendors and their leaders.

This followed a directive by President Yoweri handing over the management of all the markets in Kampala, including Nakasero, to KCCA, to replace private contractors who the traders had claimed were exploiting them.

However, now the traders say this policy change on the administration of markets in Kampala has not been backed by action. Nearly three months after KCCA took over, the traders say no elections have been organised to have a new leadership in Nakasero Market.

Ssentamu Siraje, who is one of the acting leaders in Nakasero Market, said that they have written several letters to KCCA about some of the major issues affecting them like the leadership vacuum and insecurity but they have not received any response. He says vendors have on several occasions sought his help on matters that affect their day to day activities.

Sseka Matthias, who has worked in Nakasero Market for over 15 years now, says the traders were happy when the Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, intervened and addressed some of their concerns but there are still other pressing matters such as market dues which are not well explained. He says there are some of the issues the leaders would have addressed on behalf of the traders.  

Our attempts to reach the KCCA spokesperson, Simon Kasyate, on these matters were futile. However, in her previous address to the Nakasero Market traders, KCCA Executive Director, Dorothy Kisaka said that KCCA would do all it takes to streamline the management of the market for the good of the traders.