Story by Osuta Yusuf.
Arua City: Street Vendors in Arua city were on the 18th of April 2024 engaged in serious running battles with security agencies following the demonstrations over the implantation of the trade order which seeks to bring order among the business community through curbing illegal practices such as street vending and wrong parking among others.
These riots emerged after the make shift structures of the street vendors were destroyed by unknown people in the previous night angering the traders to cause destruction within the city center through demonstrating..
The angry street vendors, who turned up for work to only find their structures destroyed, resorted to demolishing clearing all the structures most especially those that survived most especially in areas of Lobida market ,Terego House and other areas.
Obindu Jackson a vendor dealing in eggs attributes the rowdiness by the traders to discrimination in the implementation of the law.
Ahmed Dramani another vendor dealing in carpets says much as the city council reached out to them asking them to move to the main market, the reluctance to obey the call is as a result of the size of the stalls at the facility which is unsuitable for their businesses.
Meanwhile senior superintendent of police Josephine Angucia the public relations officer for westnile says the operation by security is to implement the call against street vending in Arua city.
However Debo Ronald the chairman Arua city chamber of commerce raised concern over the mode of implematation.The city authority had requested the street vendors to move to gazzetted facilities such as Arua Central Market ,Gaagaa Textile Market ,social center market ,club market ,ediofe market awindiri market which fell on death ears during the recent sensitization drive on the trade order resulting to the forceful evictions.