UGANDA, Kampala | Real Muloodi News | Kampala arcade landlords have reopened their business centres, defying directives of the State Minister in charge of Kampala Kabuye Kyofatogabye. The landlords have opened arcades to recoup what they and the tenants have lost so far.
In response to the president’s directives that Kikuubo and other arcades around the country could resume operations under strict guidelines, last week on Monday, the landlords and government officials held a meeting at the Office of the Prime Minister. They agreed the arcades should open in a phased manner.
Minister Kyofatogabye and the District COVID-19 task force told the landlords to have a compliance certificate before opening. The arcades have to fulfil the standard operating procedures to qualify for the certificate.
However, according to a survey, 178 arcades and shopping malls within Kampala are operating without the said certificates of compliance. Street vending on malls, arcades and kiosks within Kikuubo and other city roads and the streets of Kampala are now operating their businesses.
According to the Kampala landlords, there is no time to waste on the minister’s directives, as people have suffered enough losses during the 42-day closure.
The landlords claim that the banks that gave them loans to construct arcades want their money, and if the arcades remain closed, they might quickly lose their business centres to these banks.
”We haven’t collected rent yet; banks want their money. Why do you complicate things? If you don’t want to listen to us, we will open for our tenants so that they also save their businesses.” vowed defiant Kampala landlords.
Another landlord who requested anonymity said, ”in the period of 42 lockdown days, we have made losses and so have our tenants. Enough is enough; we can’t remain closed. We are grateful to his Excellency the President for opening. However, we kindly beg the minister to be considerate and allow us to open as we put in place the presidential directives. Building these arcades is not like building a boys’ quarter. Let the minister be reminded!”
Tycoon Mansoor Matovu, another landlord, also requested the authorities to act quickly in testing the people.
“Those coming to test people should come quickly, as well as those who are in charge of the inspection. The arcades are not going away,” Mansoor said.
The chairperson of Bagagga Kwagalana group, Godfrey Kirumira, says people should be allowed to open because they have suffered a lot during the lockdown,
”Arcades should be left to open because landlords and tenants have suffered a lot during the lockdown. By the way, how can you supervise them when they are closed?” asked Godfrey Kirumira.
The KCCA spokesperson, Mr Daniel Muhumuza Nuwabeine, said the compliance team is targeting over 178 arcades within Kampala that are operating illegally.
“The joint compliance team has nine teams. Each team has a member of the Internal Security Organisation, police, and Military Police. Also included in each team is Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, physical planning, building control and the team leader, who is a public health official from the Ministry of Health.” Nuwabeine said.
“We are still in the process of inspecting the arcades, so we shall issue a certificate of compliance to those that have complied with the standard Operating Procedures,” Nuwabeine added.
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