Government and Kampala city landlords have reached an agreement on reopening their buildings subject to tough standard operating procedures, according to Trade and Industry Minister Amelia Kyambadde.
This follows a closed door meeting between the ministry officials and city landlord representatives- Dr.Sudhir Ruparelia, Godfrey Kirumira, Hamis Kiggundu and Ssemambo Rashid.
The meeting took place at the Ministry’s boardroom.
Key on the agenda was the issue of unpaid rent arrears and how it would affect tenants ahead of the arcades and malls opening announced by President Museveni last week.
Ms. Kyambadde in a release to journalists said government had agreed with Kampala Landlords to allow traders to resume business and the issue of rent arrears would be discussed and or staggered on a case by case basis.
In the meeting, it was also agreed that building owners reduce congestion in their buildings by reducing the number of tenants per shop to three. It was agreed that traders in the corridors, stair cases and doorways of buildings be removed.
Building owners would also work with tenants to create demarcations where customers should stand- at a distance from the shop attendants. The tenants are also supposed to serve one customer at a time.
Government also tasked landlords to increase the number of guards at their buildings to ensure temperature measurements were taken and to enforce the handwashing measures.
dfcu Bank and Monitor Publications Crown Season 7 Rising Woman Champions, Celebrating Uganda’s Top Women EntrepreneursBuilding owners are also supposed to ensure that the buildings, especially the gates, doors and floors are sanitized regularly.
No hawkers and food vendors will be allowed to operate in the buildings and building owners are supposed to enforce the wearing of facemasks and other protective gear by tenants and their customers.
It was also agreed that landlords shalt allow tenants to open for business and discuss on a case by case basis how to clear the arrears.
Commenting about the meeting, Dr. Sudhir Ruparelia, the Ruparelia Group Chairman and Kampala’s biggest landlord, said that they had had a cordial meeting with the minister and urged for a mutual working relationship, after all, everybody had been affected by Covid-19.
“I think what we have to understand is that Covid-19 is here to stay. It is something that has come upon us and we are learning to stay with it and the rest of the world is living with it. Everybody is going to play their part. We all need to sail through together- landlords, tenants and government,” he said.
Today, Ministry of health reported that results from samples tested on 06th June 2020 have confirmed 23 new Covid-19 cases, taking Uganda’s confirmed total cases to 616. The 23 new cases include: 7 truck drivers from Elegu, Mutukula and Mirama Hills border points; 1 security personnel from Elegu and another case of a frontline health worker. They also include 14 cases from contacts and alerts from; Kyotera, Adjumani, Tororo and Amuru districts.
To date, total recoveries stand at 96 cases.
