In a meeting held by Trade Minister Amelia Kyambadde and Traders under Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) on Tuesday afternoon, 48 arcades were allowed to operate after fulfilling the standard operating standards against #Coronavirus.
These arcades will be opened not later than Friday after the list has been presented to the president. They include among others, Mukwano Arcade, Modern complex, Grand Corner Plaza, Arua Park Plaza, Arua Park Annex, Magoba Shopping Mall, Mega Plaza and Sekaziga House.
This uplift came after businessmen and women stormed Kampala city on Tuesday to open their arcades despite Museveni’s directives to keep shops closed as a means to curb COVID-19. The Uganda Police force rushed to the scene and closed some of the shops that were open.
ASP Ivan Nduhura, Central Police Station operations commander spearheaded this operation while arresting some of the traders.
The police kept on running battles with businessmen while splashing tear gas in Kisekka Market after a police patrol vehicle screen was smashed.
Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) on Monday announced to its members operating from arcade to return to work under standard operating procedures.
Recently, the Minister of Kampala Affairs Betty Amongi presented a number of guidelines to the arcade owners before they could open.
Some of the guidelines included keeping shops and corridors clean and not blocked, they should have adequate natural lightening and ventilation in the premises, put in place a closed-circuit television camera- CCTV at each entry and exit point.
The chairperson of KACITA Mr Everest Kayondo stated that it is puzzling that although traders in arcades have expressed willingness to adhere to SOPs, the government is unresponsive.
“People [traders in arcades] are badly off and the government seems not to understand. We have pressed and tried all ways but nothing is happening. People are ready to abide by the SOPs,” Kayondo said.
Arcades were among the places that closed when the government declared a nationwide lockdown to curb COVID-19.
Months later, the President uplifted restrictions thereby allowing some commercial areas to operate like shopping malls, garages, standalone shops but arcades remained closed.
This prompted arcade owners to accuse scientists in the Ministry of Health of misleading the President to keep their buildings closed instead of focusing on the congested streets of Kampala.
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