A city cannot breathe through chaos; Kampala must choose order

What the report says

The Observer published a viewpoint arguing that Kampala’s recent street-clearing and national cleaning activities show the city can be made more orderly, but that enforcement must be paired with planning for people who depend on informal work. The article says roadside vendors were removed and roads and walkways were unclogged within a week, alongside national cleaning activities expected to take place on the last Saturday of every month across Uganda.

The author credits Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja for mobilizing the cleaning effort, while cautioning that persuasion should be emphasized over coercion. The piece also says Kampala Capital City Authority’s removal of kiosks and vendors helped restore pavements and road space, but warns that eliminating livelihoods without alternatives could create social and economic problems, especially for food vendors and workers in the chapatti trade.

The commentary calls for a broader urban management plan, including regulation of boda bodas through licensing, work zones, training, GPS tracking and digital plates. It also proposes structured neighborhood food markets, with sanitation, power and drainage, as an alternative to roadside vending. The author cites examples such as Kigali’s enforcement approach and Zambia’s market systems as models Kampala could study.

The Observer piece frames Kampala’s challenge as one of governance and urban design, arguing that cleaning drives alone will not solve congestion, unsafe traffic habits or disorderly public space. It urges stronger city authority, clearer transport corridors and market infrastructure so the capital can move from informal survival systems toward planned urban order.