Kampala traders storm court, demand release of colleagues

A group of Kampala city traders stormed the Buganda Road court on Wednesday, demanding the release of 17 of their colleagues who had been arrested a day earlier.

The traders were protesting a range of issues, including high taxes on garments, increased rent by arcade owners, the Uganda Revenue Authority’s (URA) e-billing system (EFRIS), and the licensing of foreigners to operate businesses that compete with local traders.

The 17 arrested traders appeared before grade one magistrate Winnie Nankye, where they were charged with common nuisance for allegedly causing public inconvenience during a road procession.

Sixteen of the traders were granted a non-cash bail of Shs 200,000 each. They were released after presenting fellow traders as sureties, each of whom was required to sign a non-cash bond of Shs 500,000 to ensure the accused return for their trial on October 15, 2025.

One of the traders, Christopher Okecho, was remanded to Luzira prison after the court was unable to proceed without a Japhadola interpreter. The protest at the courthouse followed an abrupt adjournment of a meeting between the traders and prime minister Robinah Nabanjja at the Uganda Bureau of Statistics.

During the meeting, the traders were informed that their colleagues had been detained for allegedly becoming violent and pelting stones at police officers. Angered by the news, the traders stormed out of the meeting and went to Buganda Road court to demand the release of their peers.

They vowed to meet with the prime minister later in the day, but only after their colleagues were freed. Following the release of the traders on bail, Issa Sekitto, the chairman of the Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA), confirmed that the traders are now ready to meet with prime minister Nabanjja to find solutions to the issues that triggered the protest.