Kampala Central Division Member of Parliament Muhammad Nsereko has joined other leaders in Kampala city to blast traders who are moving around the city throwing accusations that they abandoned them at a time they needed them most to save their businesses.
Kamada Bukenya the spokesperson of St Balikuddembe market (Owino) which is the largest market in the city told this website that since controversial businessman Hamis Kiggundu started threatening them with eviction from their markets, for almost three months, they have been looking for their leaders especially Members of Parliament but it seems most of them took cover to save themselves from any stray bullets that could threaten their political future with the powers behind Ham.
“We went to parliament looking for our area member of parliament Muhammad Nsereko but we failed to see him, we looked for Shamim Malende, our woman Member of Parliament in vain. We only see her on television and on social media representing people in courts of law. So, we are on our own because we are not seeing their importance in our time of need,” Bukenya said
He added that apart from tycoon Ham Kiggundu and his controversial Nakivubo Channel redevelopment plan, they currently face another problem of electricity because even though President Museveni directed that each trader should be given their own electricity meter to pay for his or her electricity, there are still individuals who declined to implement the presidential directive because they are benefiting from the company collecting money for electricity and for almost a month, there has been no electricity due to a huge debt Uganda Electricity Distribution Company(UEDCL) is demanding the said company.
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“Because criminals knows very well that we don’t have electricity, they raid our lockups, vandalise everything and run with our products but we don’t have any leader to help us,” Bukenya said
When commenting on the floods which destroyed and damaged traders’ goods in billions of shillings, National Unity Platform (NUP) principal Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) just told traders that other Ugandans are tired of their selfishness and hypocrisy noting that they will also join them to fight for good governances in the country
“Ugandans are tired of your crocodile tears, we always join you to fight for your rights but before reaching to the conclusion of the fight, you abandon us and run to Museveni who gives some of you and your leaders billions of tax payers money to enjoy. So, that is the price we all pay for bad governance and other Ugandans go through such similar challenges every day,” furious Bobi Wine said.
He empathized with them over the alleged criminal actions of Kiggundu adding that the most annoying thing is he has been seeing their leaders enjoying life with some of their tormentors that is why they are doing nothing to help them but only giving them excuses of blaming the opposition.
Bobi Wine was supported by Nsereko who said that when he was mobilizing funds for his political campaigns to change the country’s leadership, he was shocked seeing poor people deep in the villages sending their little support as traders he has been fighting for to create a condusive environment for them to do business in Kampala distanced themselves from him yet he got information that some of them contributed billions to support Museveni’s campaigns.
Nsereko narrated how he was abandoned by traders when he declares war on dangerous city landlords who were mistreating traders forcing them to pay high rent, and in American dollars on some of the buildings. He added that as the fight continued, the traders met the landlords behind his back and sealed deals which resulted into re-opening of their shops and it was back to business as usual.
Nsereko disclosed that after the whole saga, the landlords turned their guns on him.
It should be noted that city tycoons Drake Lubega and Mansoor Yanga threatened to attach Kampala Lord mayor Ssalongo Erias Lukwago’s personal properties because of the suit his law firm instituted on the instructions of the traders but the case was dismissed when traders refused to appear in court to give evidence against the said landlords who were mistreating them because they had sealed a deal with them and the case was dismissed with costs.
“They don’t have time for politics, our friends (the traders) spend much of their time on airplanes, inspecting their building sites thinking that they are special. They should not cry for us; they are bad people to cooperate with,” Nsereko said
Even though traders have betrayed him severally, Lukwago is still the only man standing and defending them and highly placed sources revealed to this website that negotiations are ongoing between Kiggundu and traders’ leadership
When Prime Minister Robina Nabbanja was inspecting the city to understand the damage caused by the floods as a result of Kiggundu’s decision of building on top of Nakivubo drainage channel, John Kabanda the chairperson of the Federation of Uganda Traders Association (FUTA) and Edward Ntale also a leader for traders personally apologised to Kiggundu for telling lies that he has mismanaged the drainage channel.
Highly placed sources told this website that Kiggundu wants traders’ leaders to mobilize their people to start paying for spaces on the buildings he is building on the drainage channel.
Sources claim that according to the arrangement, each shop on the ground floor will be rented at Shs5m a month but if someone pays at this time for a year, instead of paying Shs60m, they will only pay Shs50m.
“Kabanda is financially struggling, he thought that President Museveni was going to give him money through the other function he was organizing for traders to celebrate Museveni’s forty years in leadership but it flopped. He still has a problem with tycoon Christine Nabukeera who also instituted a civil suit against him in the High Court Civil Division. So Kiggundu’s deal is a blessing for his survival,” a source said.
Kabanda who supports President Museveni’s bid to be elected for another seven year disclosed that when he wins the elections, it will be easy for him to negotiate deals on behalf of the traders with his government.
Kabanda placed big bill boards along Entebbe Road, Kololo and Nakasero praising President Museveni even though he also told Ono Bwino that the blame shoulks also be placed on traders who betray their leaders because of not being loyal.
He accused them of always changing goal posts every time they enter into negotiations with government.
Veteran journalist Richard Baguma explained that he understands why opposition is bitter with traders in the city.
Baguma divulged that the challenge is these traders mean a lot to the running of the sitting government and anytime there is a window for both the traders and representatives of government to amicably sort their differences, the traders will always look at their interests first.
He said that the president and other bosses in security are seeing floods in the city as a security threat and it is the reason why Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) who also doubles as the senior presidential advisor on special operations had to make a phone call to KACITA chairperson Isa Ssekito to discuss issues concerning traders in the city.
