President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has today extended support to over 9,000 evening market vendors operating under the Toninyila Market initiative in Kampala. Each vendor, mainly dealing in cooked food sold on city streets, received UGX 100,000 to boost their businesses.

The State House Comptroller, Ms. Jane Barekye, delivered the package on behalf of the President and commended the vendors for their resilience in working with limited capital to sustain their livelihoods.

She urged them to use the funds strictly for business growth, emphasizing that the program is ongoing and will cover all divisions of Kampala. The rollout began in the Central Division and will later extend to other divisions.

Ms. Barekye noted that the President’s directive is to reach “the last person” by directly supporting small-scale traders, particularly those often excluded from mainstream government initiatives.

She praised President Museveni for prioritizing household income enhancement through support to small businesses.

Senior Presidential Advisor on Political Mobilization, Mr. Moses Byaruhanga also addressed the vendors, highlighting that while the NRM government has established broad anti-poverty measures such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga, evening street vendors had not been adequately included. He said the President specifically tasked his team to organize and support the evening market, recognizing its role in Kampala’s economy.

Mr. Byaruhanga further called on the vendors to rally behind President Museveni and the NRM flag bearers in the forthcoming elections, stressing that their continued support would ensure the sustainability of such people-centered programs.