When the lockdown was effected arcades were closed because they are areas of mass gathering so coronavirus could easily be spread. However the President eased the country and had malls reopening and arcades remaining closed.
On Monday, Kampala Capital City Traders’ Association (KACITA) urged traders who operate in arcades to open shops today as result of the government delay for the reopening of these arcades even after traders’s engagement with the authorities. However that was halted with heavy police deployment in downtown today. KACITA however agreed to meet with govern to discuss the way forward with arcades.
According to Thadeus Musoke the KACITA General Secretary, a list of arcades that have been inspected and granted permission to operate will be issued as soon as the meeting is completed.
“KACITA would like to inform the business Community that Monday 13th July 2020 marked the expiry of the ultimatum given to the government to open arcades,”he noted in a statement.
He said that after their investigations they discovered that all other parts of the country and the new approved cities like Masaka, Jinja among others, the arcades were already in operation yet the one in Kampala were still close hence interpreting it as unfair implementation of the presidential directives.
“However, KACITA would like to inform the business community that today 14th July 2020 is to hold a meeting with the government and other stakeholders in reference to the opening of arcades,”he said.
He noted that one of the main objectives of the meeting is to harmonize on the way forward for arcades opening and also to issue the list of arcades that have been inspected and granted permission to start operating.
He requested the business community to remain clam saying that as soon as the meeting is done the list of arcades will be published to allow the resumption of work.