Kampala Traders Lock Shops in Protest Over Cancelled Meeting with President Museveni

Majority of traders in Kampala City have kept their shops in Downtown locked today, 31st July.

This is in response to the abrupt cancellation of a meeting with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. The meeting, which was slated for 31st July, was a continuation of dialogue between the traders and the President.

It should be remembered that two months ago, the traders closed shops in protest of the EFRIS system by URA. The traders accused the taxpayer of double taxing them through the EFRIS platform. However, URA maintained that EFRIS, the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution, is only meant to ensure real-time tracking of sales transactions.

The protests got the attention of the President, who directed the waiver of penalties that traders had accumulated. URA has since opened a service center in the city center to help traders out.

Kampala Capital City Traders Association (KACITA) spokesperson Isa Ssekitto condemned the cancellation of the meeting by Kampala Minister Minsa Kabanda as unprofessional.

“It is very unprofessional, very disrespectful. A whole minister can just use an SMS voice on WhatsApp to stop a long-awaited presidential engagement.” Ssekitto said.

He called upon the authorities to deliver such communications through formal channels. Additionally, he warned the government to stop frustrating their concerns since the repercussions are heavy.

On the other hand, the Minister blamed the cancellation of the meeting on ongoing renovation works at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds. This also saw the opposition party National Unity Platform denied a chance to host their fourth anniversary there.However, the traders weren’t impressed by the excuse suggesting other venues.

“This is not a Kampala issue; it’s a national issue affecting traders across Uganda. We want answers on taxation, particularly the new regulations on garments and textiles. We consider these illegal.” Ssekitto said.