Government has entered into dialogue with leaders of Born Again Pentecostal churches following growing concerns over the ongoing enforcement of trade order regulations in urban areas.
The high-level engagement convened by the Minister of Local Government, Raphael Magyezi, brought together senior government officials and the Joint Leadership of Born Again Pentecostal Churches, headed by Pastor Joseph Serwada.
The meeting comes amid heightened tensions over the implementation of the trade order exercise, which was rolled out through a circular issued in March. The initiative is aimed at restoring order in towns and cities by enforcing urban planning regulations, improving sanitation, and promoting more organised and safer trading environments.
Magyezi defended the exercise, saying it is a necessary intervention to address growing urban disorder and streamline service delivery in rapidly expanding municipalities.
According to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Ben Kumumanya, the enforcement drive has already recorded visible improvements. He noted better organisation in urban centres, increased occupancy of gazetted markets in Mbale, Hoima, Nyendo, and Kasese, reduced roadside congestion, improved traffic flow, restored drainage systems, and overall enhanced sanitation.
“These are gains we must collectively safeguard,” Kumumanya said.
Despite these improvements, religious leaders raised alarm over the impact of the enforcement on places of worship. They cited instances where some churches were affected despite being located outside restricted areas such as road reserves and wetlands. They also expressed concern over inconsistent application of the rules and the conduct of some enforcement officers on the ground.
The church leaders urged government to ensure fairness, clarity, and sensitivity when dealing with religious institutions during the exercise.
Government acknowledged the concerns raised and assured stakeholders that the issues would be investigated. Officials emphasized that lawful places of worship should not be targeted under the enforcement drive.
“Places of worship that are operating within the law should not be adversely affected,” Magyezi said, adding that government is working to strengthen communication and standardize enforcement procedures across all local governments.
The meeting agreed on a number of key outcomes, including strengthening enforcement guidelines, allowing more time for consultations and public sensitisation, and holding a follow-up engagement after wider stakeholder consultations.
Government also pledged to improve coordination between enforcement teams and local authorities in order to minimize friction and ensure smoother implementation of the trade order exercise.
The dialogue was attended by several senior government officials, including Minister for the Presidency Milly Babalanda, Minister of State for Trade (Industry) David Bahati, Minister of State for Gender (PWDs) Hellen Asamo, and Minister of State for Gender (Culture) Peace Mutuzo.
