Mbale City Vendors, Taxi and Lorry Drivers Given Five-Day Ultimatum to Vacate Streets

By Skika Reporter.

Mbale City authorities have issued a five-day ultimatum to street vendors, taxi drivers, and lorry drivers to vacate the streets and relocate to gazetted areas in a move aimed at restoring order and reducing congestion in the city.

The directive, announced during a press conference held on Wednesday at the city chambers, will take effect on Thursday and run until Monday next week.

Speaking to the media, Mbale City Town Clerk Assy Abirebe said the decision follows growing concern over traffic congestion caused by thousands of street vendors, illegal boda boda operators, and taxi stages occupying nearly every corner of the city.

According to Abirebe, taxi drivers are expected to relocate to designated parks such as the Mbale Main Taxi Park and the Kumi Road taxi park, while street vendors have been directed to operate from Mbale Central Market and other approved markets.

Lorry drivers have been instructed to move to their gazetted parking area along Kumi Road.

The Deputy Resident City Commissioner in charge of Industrial Division, Hamiza Banja, said the City Security Committee resolved that restoring order in the city is a priority.

“As the City Security Committee, we have sat in meetings and agreed that the city should have order. Motorists and vendors selling goods in the middle of the road, on pedestrian walkways, and criminals hiding among vendors and street children must be addressed,” Banja said.

He added that all security agencies, including police and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), will work closely with the Mbale City enforcement team to ensure full implementation of the directive once the five-day grace period expires.

However, the directive has drawn resistance from some stakeholders.

Same Gudoi, a taxi driver operating along Kumi Road, said taxi operators will not vacate the streets unless the city expands the main taxi park to accommodate all vehicles.

He accused city authorities of selling off about 60 percent of the main taxi park land, leaving insufficient space for taxis.

Some street vendors have also expressed dissatisfaction, arguing that lockups and stalls at Mbale Central Market have already been taken over by wealthy individuals and city officials who rent them out at high prices.

The vendors are demanding a fresh reallocation of stalls and lockups to ensure that low-income traders benefit from the available spaces.

City authorities maintain that the directive is necessary to restore sanity, improve traffic flow, and enhance security within Mbale City.