KAMPALA — Government and city landlords have reached an agreement on reopening arcades, Trade Minister Amelia Kyambadde has said.
The agreement was reached following a Saturday June 6 closed door meeting that was attended by city landlords including Sudhir Rupaleria, Godfrey Kirumira, Hamis Kiggundu among others.
Ms. Kyambadde in a release to journalists said Kampala Landlords agreed to allow traders resume business as they discuss on case by case basis how to stager the rent arrears.
President Museveni ordered in the state of the nation address that government would landlords to evict or arrest tenants on account to not paying rent. He said government would also engage landlords on putting mechanisms in line with Ministry of Health guidelines on halting the spread of coronavirus.
The Saturday closed door meeting agreed to decongest arcades including reducing the number of occupants to; 3 occupants per shop but ensuring a social distance of at least two meters between the shop attendants within the shop premises.
The landlords were also asked to increase the number of guards on entry and exit points to manage temperature guns and hand-washing areas but also demarcate and mark points where buyers will stand while being attended.
The meeting prohibited hawkers, food vendors, luggage carriers in the arcades and agreed that tenants and customers will be required to regularly sanitise and wear face masks at all the time.
People trading in corridors, stair cases, doors and temporary structures (make shift shops) will be removed in one of the plan to decongest arcades ahead of the much awaited reopening.
To date, Uganda has 593 confirmed coronavirus cases according to latest figures released by Ministry of Health
