Roadside market vendors have expressed gratitude to President Museveni for supporting their businesses with seed capital.
Through the State House Political Department, the President extended a contribution of Shs 100,000 to each vendor at Watuba Daily Market in Lwamata Town Council (Kiboga District), Bukwikiri Daily Market (Kyankwanzi District), and Kasana Bakusekka Magenda Market (Luwero District).
A total of 638 vendors benefited from the Roadside Market Vendors empowerment project. The beneficiaries, who mainly trade in groceries such as watermelons, pineapples, onions, chapatis, and chips, received the support after appealing to the President that they had been sidelined from government development programs such as Emyooga and the Parish Development Model (PDM).
The President encouraged the traders to use the additional capital wisely while continuing to pursue benefits from mainstream government programs, emphasizing that those funds also belong to them.
Delivering the package on behalf of the President, the Senior Presidential Advisor-Elderly, Princess Pauline Nassolo called on the traders to invest the money productively to improve household incomes. She explained that while the NRM government has delivered infrastructure, electricity, and road networks, President Museveni now wants to ensure every home gets out of poverty.
She further cautioned vendors against abandoning their work for politics and rallies that do not improve their livelihoods. Nassolo urged them to vote for leaders who deliver community interests rather than self-seekers, adding that supporting President Museveni and the NRM government would safeguard their progress.
At Kasana Bakusekka Magenda Market, Chairperson Zubair Kasana thanked the President for the financial support, saying it would greatly boost the vendors’ businesses. He, however, raised concern about gaps in mobilization, stressing the need for leaders who can effectively communicate the NRM government’s achievements, warning that the opposition often exploits this weakness to mislead the public.