Eronda
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 16, 2025
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The government of uganda has suspended all trade order operations across the country following complaints from religious leaders, traders and Members of Parliament over the manner in which the exercise was being carried out.
State Minister for Industry David Bahati announced on the floor of Parliament on Friday, that the suspension would allow time for further consultations before a revised approach is introduced in July.
He said concerns raised by the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda, churches, mosques and vendors had forced government to rethink the implementation of the directive.
“Since these issues were discussed here, we have received a number of complaints including the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda and we had a meeting with the council members,”Bahati said.
While the trade order was intended to restore order in trading centres and encourage proper use of government-built markets, many of which remain underutilised, the minister admitted that many mistakes were made in enforcement.
“The question of the trade order is that we want to bring order in the areas we are operating because the government has built markets and the markets were not being used,” he said.
The operation, which started in Kampala before spreading to other parts of the country, involved clearing vendors from streets, road reserves and informal trading spaces, while also targeting structures considered to be operating illegally.
In several areas, churches, mosques and roadside worship centres were also affected, with some structures reportedly demolished or marked for removal, sparking outrage from religious leaders.
Source: pulse
State Minister for Industry David Bahati announced on the floor of Parliament on Friday, that the suspension would allow time for further consultations before a revised approach is introduced in July.
He said concerns raised by the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda, churches, mosques and vendors had forced government to rethink the implementation of the directive.
“Since these issues were discussed here, we have received a number of complaints including the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda and we had a meeting with the council members,”Bahati said.
While the trade order was intended to restore order in trading centres and encourage proper use of government-built markets, many of which remain underutilised, the minister admitted that many mistakes were made in enforcement.
“The question of the trade order is that we want to bring order in the areas we are operating because the government has built markets and the markets were not being used,” he said.
The operation, which started in Kampala before spreading to other parts of the country, involved clearing vendors from streets, road reserves and informal trading spaces, while also targeting structures considered to be operating illegally.
In several areas, churches, mosques and roadside worship centres were also affected, with some structures reportedly demolished or marked for removal, sparking outrage from religious leaders.
Source: pulse
