Kabale District Council has unanimously approved a motion to regulate the use of road frontage along the Kabale–Mbarara and Kabale–Katuna highways, in a move aimed at boosting local revenue and organizing roadside trade.
The decision, passed during a council sitting on Thursday, March 26, 2026, seeks to formalize the growing number of informal traders operating along the busy transport corridors, many of whom have been conducting business outside a structured revenue system.
Presenting the motion, Deputy Speaker and Southern Division Male Councillor, Ronald Ian Mugisha, said the district continues to face challenges in generating sufficient local revenue to support service delivery. He noted that while roadside trading provides livelihoods, it has not been contributing effectively to the district’s revenue base.
Under the new resolution, the council will establish and officially gazette designated revenue markets at strategic points along the two roads. These will include areas such as plots 19–25 on Mbarara Road, the Remand Home plots 141–145, and sections near Kabarebe Hardware along the South Western Umbrella Road.
The motion also outlines plans to develop market infrastructure, including stalls, using funds from the Discretionary Development Equalization Grant (DDEG) and locally generated revenue in the 2026/2027 financial year. Mugisha said the development will help attract both traders and customers while improving the overall trading environment.
In addition, a structured revenue collection system will be introduced, with official receipts issued to ensure transparency and accountability. The council also resolved to enforce compliance by restricting unlicensed roadside vending outside the designated market areas.
Mugisha expressed confidence that the initiative will widen the district’s revenue base through market dues, licensing, and user fees, while also improving the livelihoods of local traders and farmers by providing safer and more organized trading spaces.
//Cue in: “along the South Western Umbrella……
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Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Administration, Finance, Planning, Works and Technical Services Committee, Richard Mporera, welcomed the move, describing it as a strategic intervention to strengthen Kabale District’s economic development while addressing challenges posed by unregulated roadside commerce.
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