The sight of Kampala streets without the vibrant and often chaotic presence of vendors is a shock to the system. While the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) insists this is about “Trade Order,” the economic ripple effect is real.

There are Pros and Cons to this whole strategy such as;

Pros of the Trade Order:

• Sanitation. Yes, there is less littering especially in the drainage channels and the streets are being cleaned with water and well making the streets of Kampala look fresh. On social media like TikTok, some citizens did not even know that green grass existed in Kampala until the cleaning started.
• Security. Most of us have been victims to theft in Kampala. We have been naturally forced to walk around like soldiers on guard so as to protect ourselves from thieves or call them pick-pocketers. You go to Kampala with a phone move two buildings only to check, you have a stone. This strategy of clearing off the street vendors has reduced such incidents because there is no more commotion and high population all in one place.
• Legitimacy. The street vendors were informally in business. No licenses of operation whereas the formal businesses in malls or shopping grounds like Ham Shopping Ground, Kooki Towers, Pioneer Mall among others do have licenses. The problem comes in where by those with licenses, paying rent have less customers because most of us do impulsive shopping from these street vendors or end up becoming regular

customers. I mean on average; you leave home to go to a certain shop and 

buy one thing maybe a bag of 50,000UGshs and on your way, you find yourself buying things worth 100,000UGshs off these street vendors. This is displacement of street vendors is now an advantage to licensed shop businesses.

However, the Cons are felt on the side of the Street Vendors. Let us dive into some:

• High costs. Most of these vendors are not in malls because renting space is quite costly for them. These are small or minimalist vendors selling items that may not logically require them to move into shops of rent worth 500K-1M per month. The math does not really add up.
• Customer gaps. Markets like Busega are far from Central Business District (CBD) commuters such as office workers who walk from workplaces to taxi parks after 5:00PM, transiting travellers, students among others. This distance between the vendor’s location and where the buyer walks makes it difficult for the vendors to actually access customers. Remember, these vendors strategically used the streets of Kampala to reach out to more commuting customers as they have no shops or established locations. And after the displacement, the relocations seem to be far from the fertile grounds with customers.
• Invisibility. Without a street spot, many disappear from the market. When a street vendor is removed from a high-traffic area and has not yet established a brand or a digital foot print, they automatically cease to exist in the eyes of the market. We see how business owners with well established addresses or brands still cross our minds even if they go silent for a month. Those that relocate from physical places always communicate and still maintain their footprint unlike street vendors. Right now, that vendor who used to sell to you nice and affordable jeans got displaced and you have no idea where to even start looking for him.

The internet shutdown lesson;

Many argue, “They should just go online.” This sounds simple but we remember what the January 2026 Internet shutdown did to those businesses that solely relied on an online presence without a physical location. It is proven that a Hybrid approach is the best in these times. Businesses need to learn how times change and hence become more strategically dynamic. 

However, for the displaced street vendor, the “Digital Veranda” is the only immediate option.

As a marketing Agency, these are some of the few easy ways that a “hustler” can use to build a digital presence;

1. Own your digital shop on WhatsApp Business. Upload photos of your merchandise with good prices, this becomes your new street corner. Post your arrivals daily and for delivery, we all have that one “Boda guy” who gets the job done. We see thrift sellers online doing a great job. All you need is the internet and your WhatsApp ready for business.
2. Use TikTok to your advantage. We see how the streets were the physical point of connection. Street vending was successful because you stood where majority of the people walked. Now use TikTok because this is where majority of the people scroll. Use relevant hashtags, understand the algorithm and post content that sells you out especially to your niche. Do the content and let TikTok push the work for you.
3. Collective hubs. If you can not afford a shop, a few vendors maybe 5-10 can come together and rent a small store or collection point. There are a few that do that by coming together and keeping their merchandise in one place. This does not necessarily become a walk-in store but rather, a warehouse. Focus more on online marketing as you have a store. 

The streets may be empty, but the demand for affordable goods is not. This is not only about street vendors but any business owner who may want to establish an online presence. Remember hybrid is now the way to go. From the internet shutdown to the displacement of street vendors can only mean one thing, being a hybrid business owner is no longer a luxury but rather a survival tactic.

At DDALU AGENCY, we offer a variety of services that can help one to build an effective and efficient online presence as well as keep up with the Hybrid approach such as;

• Video Production.
• Social Media Marketing.
• Branding and Design.
• Public Relations.
• SEO Marketing.
• Website Design and so much more.

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