For the thousands of traders in Kikuubo, Nakasero, Owino and downtown Kampala, the day starts with a truck.
A truck offloading bales of second-hand clothes. A truck squeezing through with sacks of beans, cartons of soda, iron sheets, cement and cooking oil. It is the noisy, chaotic heartbeat of the city’s commerce.
Now, that heartbeat might be moved to the night.
Mityana North MP Muhammad Kibedi Nsegumire has tabled a bold motion in Parliament seeking to ban heavy trucks from a five-mile zone in Kampala’s CBD during the day. Under his plan, trucks would only be allowed from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM.
For motorists tired of gridlock, it sounds like relief. For traders, it is a major business question.
The Trader’s Dilemma:
In Kikuubo, Uganda’s largest wholesale hub, most shops have no storage. Stock comes in the morning and is sold by evening. If trucks can only come at night, shop owners will have to:
- Pay for night labour to offload goods in the dark.
- Pay for overnight security for goods left on the street.
- Face higher transport fees, as drivers charge more for night trips.
In Nakasero Market, where fresh food arrives daily, a delay of a few hours could mean spoilage and losses.
A wholesale trader in Kikuubo who preferred anonymity said, “We understand the jam is too much, but we survive because trucks reach us in day. If you push us to night, government must give us lights, security and loading zones.”
Why Kibedi Says It Must Be Done:
Hon. Kibedi argues Kampala is choking. When a single heavy truck breaks down on Kampala Road or Entebbe Road at 8am, the whole city stops. Accidents involving pedestrians and boda bodas are rising. The city loses billions in man-hours stuck in traffic.[pictured]
By pushing heavy commercial traffic to night, when roads are clear, KCCA can clean, repair and let the daytime economy – taxis, buses, pedestrians and shoppers – move freely.
The proposal is still only a motion. It will need input from KCCA, the Ministry of Works and Transport, and crucially, the traders’ associations like KACITA.
But the debate has started: Should Kampala prioritize the smooth flow of the city during the day, even if it means traders must learn to work at night?
For Kikuubo, the answer will determine how the city trades tomorrow.
