Fourteen KCCA councilors who were planning to march downtown to inspect roads where they want street vendors to operate from have been arrested.
They include the Speaker Zahara Luyirika, the Deputy Speaker Nasur Masaba, and councilors Faisal Kibirige, Gadhafi Nasur and Mushin Kakande. Others are Winnie Nansubuga, Faisal Ssebayiga, Mosh Ssendi Afrikan, Paul Kato, Richard Sembatya, Rose Kigozi Nalubwama, Moses Kataabu, Fausta Bitaano, and the personal assistant to the speaker Aksam Ssemakula.
It is alleged that the councilors had attended a meeting at the City Hall where they passed a resolution to allow vendors to operate on Ssebana and Namirembe roads from 4 pm to 9 am.
Donning white T-Shirts with images of street vendors and inscriptions “Omutembeyi Ssimuyeekera” translated as a Hawker isn’t a rebel, the councilors marched out of City Hall main gate.
However, Police also swung into action and attempted to block them from City Hall main gate but failed. The offcers then followed them up to Wilson road where they were arrested and detained at Wilson road police post and later transferred to the Central Police Station-CPS.
Luke Oweyesigyire the Deputy Police Spokesperson for Kampala Metropolitan area confirmed the arrests but revealed no charges have been preferred against the councilors.
Before the arrests, there was a fracas at City Hall when security blocked a section of vendors from presenting their petition to political leaders at KCCA.
They were stopped at the second entry and forced out of the gate with security saying that they had received information that these were at the headquarters to protest.