Kampala’s main trade lobby is facing pressure to cut short its strike, which saw shops close down from Tuesday this week, as some members started resuming business.
Traders allied to the Kampala City Traders Association (Kacita) and affiliated groups had agreed to close shops for an initial five to six days, before reconvening to reconsider the next move.
But three days into the action, cracks were already emerging as pressure, including from the government, to cut short the protest piled up.
At an emergency meeting called on Wednesday evening with stakeholders, there was a row on a resolution to keep shops closed for nearly a week with some members criticising it.
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Meanwhile, State operatives were working overtime trying to convince traders to ignore the strike and keep their shops open.
Remain shut
By Thursday, some shops, which had closed for the strike reopened, even though the official position by the lobby was that they remain shut until a meeting with President Yoweri Museveni.
“The struggle is continuing although there is some resistance from a few of our members and stakeholder to resume business,” Issa Sekitto, Kacita spokesperson, told The EastAfrican on Thursday.
“The resistance is understandable given the timing of the strike. It is that time when some landlords demand rent and yet you cannot raise it if your shop is closed. However, the official position is that we keep our shops closed then we will engage the landlords over rent at some point although this is likely to affect some landlords.”
Kacita argues it will not stand in the way of those who decide to reopen, even though it was telling members that it is better to deal with authorities as a collective body rather than go as an individual.
On Tuesday, traders operating in the central business district of Kampala decided not to open their shops in protest at President Museveni’s failure to meet them. He had postponed their scheduled meeting for the second time in as many months.
Traders have three main issues: They want the ongoing implementation of the Electronic Receipting and Invoicing System currently being enforced by the Uganda Revenue Authority suspended.
They also want taxes on textile fabrics and garments in kilogrammes reviewed and have demanded Chinese nationals restricted from engaging in retail and petty trade.
Dr Chris Baryomunsi, Uganda’s Minister for ICT and National Guidance, “The traders should relax and not feel offended.”
