Kampala city traders have reopened their shops, ending a two-day strike after reaching an agreement with government officials to address their grievances.
The strike, which began on Tuesday, was organized by the Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) to protest against what they consider unfair foreign competition and excessive taxes, particularly on garments.
The resolution followed a meeting on Wednesday at the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), led by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja. The meeting was briefly interrupted when news of the arrest of 18 traders for allegedly throwing stones at police reached the participants.
Following the information, traders stormed out of the meeting to demand the release of their colleagues. Under the leadership of acting KACITA chairperson Issa Sekitto, 17 of the 18 detained traders were released, allowing the discussions to resume later in the day.
The meeting included officials from the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and UBOS. During the talks, Nabbanja promised the traders that she would bring their concerns to the Cabinet within a month for further consideration.
She also tasked URA commissioner general John Musinguzi Rujoki to resolve delays in clearing container cargo within one week. Richard Nsubuga, a garment trader, confirmed that the strike had been called off. He said a key demand was the release of over 60 containers stuck at Nakawa stores.
“URA accepted in front of the Prime Minister Nabbanja that the containers will be released in a week,” Nsubuga said.
“But we also want them to stop their silly games of releasing the containers, only to send UNBS to re-hold them again in the name of quality.”
Nsubuga added that the traders expect the government to present tax and trade policy reforms to parliament within a month. However, he expressed skepticism, stating that traders believe the high taxes are politically motivated due to their perceived support for the opposition.
In recent years, business communities in Uganda have staged several protests over tax policies. While these protests often lead to meetings and promises from government officials, traders frequently complain that the commitments are rarely fulfilled.
These traders will keep going through the same cycle and achieving nothing. Government has all the time to play these games. They need to change strategy.
Hey Ed, clearly there’s no strategy that any striking community can effectively employ. Museveni knows that Ugandans are timid. Gullible. Easy to manipulate. Easier to be intimidated. And the easiest to be divided and ruled. Oh. And very cheap to buy off.