The government has finalized plans to compensate business owners who lost money and goods in the recent floods that affected Kampala last year, on October 31st.
A meeting was held today at the offices of the business community in the New Taxi Park. The gathering, which brought together journalists and leaders of the affected traders, was told that the Ministry of Finance has written a letter informing them that the government will reimburse their funds within a period of three weeks.
Moses Lwegaba, the spokesperson for the Federation of Ugandan Traders (FUTA), and one of the traders who lost money in the floods, elaborated on this matter.
Lwegaba noted that this money has come at a time when the traders need it most, as many of them had been planning to return to their upcountry homes.
Fazirah Nansubuga, who works alongside Lwegaba as a leader of the traders operating in G3 buildings, added that they are also facing challenges from their landlords. She explained that after losing their merchandise in the floods, the landlords are still pressuring them for rent.
The meeting also served to inform the nation that a planned demonstration for next week has been called off. The traders had intended to protest on the 25th of this month if the government delayed in compensating them for their losses. However, the leaders have now announced that the protest has been canceled. They have urged the traders to be patient for the three weeks it will take for the government to disburse the funds.
Furthermore, the leaders have appealed to the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and the KHAM Group of Companies to work together more effectively. They say this collaboration is essential to eradicate the recurring problem of flooding that has plagued Kampala, particularly in the downtown area.
