Rukungiri Vendors Given Two Weeks to Vacate Streets

Rukungiri: Authorities in Rukungiri Municipality have given street vendors two weeks to vacate the streets as part of a new effort to restore order in the town.

The municipality has also launched a five-day exercise to identify and mark illegal structures that will be demolished under the new trade order being implemented in cities, municipalities, and developing town councils.

The operation is targeting vendors operating in kiosks and buildings without approved plans within the town.

Affected vendors have been advised to relocate to Kagogo Cell in Northern A Ward, Western Division of Rukungiri Municipality.

The Rukungiri Municipality Town Clerk, Isiah Tumwesigye, told our reporter on April 21 that the identification and marking exercise will run until Friday this week.

Tumwesigye added that starting April 27, 2026, vendors will be given only two weeks to relocate to the Kagogo area or face forceful eviction by law enforcement officers.

Those most affected include carpenters, welders, and mechanics who operate mainly in roadside kiosks.

He explained that the directive is in line with a nationwide push by the Ministry of Trade to create order in urban areas.

The Senior Physical Planner for Rukungiri Municipality, Vastine Kenganzi, said the operation is targeting illegal structures built on road reserves.

She urged all vendors whose businesses have been marked to report to the municipal offices for guidance on the next steps.