KCCA meets Owino Market leaders after partial demolition

15 March 2026, 8:11 pm

By Ronald Ssemagonja

Following the demolition of part of St. Balikuddembe Market, commonly known as Owino, the Executive Director of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), Sharifa Buzeki, yesterday held a meeting with some of the leaders working in the market.

During the meeting, the Executive Director said it is not safe for traders to continue operating in an area where demolition has already taken place. The meeting was attended by market leaders, the KCCA Market Master, the Authority Engineer Justus Akankwasah, members of the media, among others.

The leaders agreed not to operate around the area where the demolition occurred. They were also informed that they would be considered for compensation.

“I want to thank you for accepting our invitation to attend this meeting. We decided to meet with you as leaders because we want to find a solution to the current situation. I am glad that when our team approached you, you listened. We all know what happened, and we are here to hear your views so that we can determine the next steps,” Buzeki said.

She added that a developer had applied for a demolition certificate, which KCCA had not yet issued.

“My request to you is to make sure that you do not use the area that was demolished. We understand that you are not happy with what is happening, but we must follow the necessary procedures. Please respect our officers who will come to assess the situation. We do not want anyone at the scene because the area will be cordoned off. We request you to comply,” she said.

Buzeki further noted that the KCCA field team would visit the site to conduct investigations and assess the situation.

However, the market leaders insisted that their priority is compensation from the developer.

“Executive Director, our appeal to you is to talk to the developer so that we are compensated before the demolition continues. Many of us have loans and we are worried about how we will pay the people who lent us money. We need support,” the leaders said.

They also requested that the compensation process be inclusive.

“Another thing is that all affected traders should be considered, not just a few individuals. We want the process to be transparent, fast, and to involve us at every stage because we are the primary beneficiaries,” they added.

Traders also noted that the demolition took place at night several weeks ago, claiming that they were not informed in advance and alleging that the exercise was carried out illegally.