Close to 50 arcades have so far adapted to the Standard Operating Procedures set by the government as a precondition for their reopening.
The government had maintained lockdown restrictions on arcades, because of the envisaged difficulty to avoid close contact between people in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to President Yoweri Museveni, it would be practically impossible to enforce social distancing guidelines in arcades, whose shopping units are co-rented by several traders.
But this morning, the Minister in Charge of Kampala Metropolitan Affairs Betty Amongi said that 48 of the arcades in Kampala had met the set guidelines for Standard Operating Procedures. They include among others, Mukwano Arcade, Modern complex, Grand Corner Plaza, Arua Park Plaza, Arua Park Annex, Magoba Shopping Mall, Mega Plaza and Sekaziga House.
On the same list is Teddy’s Plaza, KK TRUST, Ham Shopping Grounds, Nabugabo Arcade, Avemar Shopping Centre, Kampala Plaza, Trust Arcade, E-M Plaza, and Galilaaya Shopping Centre, among others.
Trade Minister Amelia Kyambadde told a meeting of Arcade owners yesterday that the arcades that have conformed to the set guidelines will be opened not later than Friday, after the list has been presented to the President.
The decision is the outcome of a series of inspections undertaken by Kampala Capital City Authority, the Ministry of Trade, together with various trader’s associations to ensure that arcades adhere to the guidelines set by the Ministry of Health for the purposes of keeping coronavirus disease at bay.
During the inspections, the Kampala Capital City Authority – KCCA issued new guidelines requiring arcades to have a dedicated isolation room, for possible COVID-19 suspects, handwashing facilities, cleaners dressed in personal protective gear and adequate detergents to use in cleaning. Owners and operators were also advised to install closed Circuit Television Camera’s-CCTV at each entry, exit and level and a body temperature screening for clients and attendants using functional infrared thermometers.
Altogether, the inspection teams visited 87 buildings that were classified as arcades and whose operations are still restricted. But of these, 39 did not meet the set guidelines and will remain closed, according to Kyambadde.
They include Qualicel Bus Terminal, Moonlight arcade, Kalungi Plaza and Printers House along Nasser road, Boost complex, Supervisor complex, Katikati complex, JBK plaza, Park View Shopping Centre Namaganda Plaza, Silver Arcade, Park Enkadde, and Peoples Plaza among others. But Kyambadde says that the verification exercise will now be continuous as the government enforces a phased opening of the malls.
Sudhir Ruparelia, one of the biggest landlords in Kampala said the reopening is a good step for the arcades that have complied to the guidelines.
The following CMS buildings with shops opening to the street were reopened. These include Electrical Plaza, Eagle Plaza, Royal Plaza, Market Plaza, Kampala Boulevard, City House and Tourist Hotel.
Edward Kitaka, a trader in Nabugabo Arcade asked the government to expedite the re-opening process. He says many of them are struggling to survive and to meet their loan obligations.
Crane Management Services leads in Observing SOPs Against COVID-19
Meanwhile, Crane Management Services (CMS) Limited says it has fulfilled all the Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) issued by the Ministry of Health and KCCA to all building owners before re-opening of arcades in order to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Among the SoPs that Crane Management Services have put in place at all their facilities include the following;
The Social Distancing Stickers at every 2 meters inside the buildings to avoid overcrowding.
All CMS arcade entry and exit points are clearly marked with placed sanitizers and Hand Wash cans.
TotalEnergies EP Hit With $100,000 Penalty Over Delayed Tax Audit Disclosures in Uganda“Arcades managed by CMS consist of modern toilets for both ladies, men and persons with Disabilities (PDWs) complete with soap dispensers and hand wash sanitizers,” says Prabhat Mishra the General Manager at Crane Management Services
In addition to this, all CMS buildings are managed through proper staff hierarchy starting from Operations Manager, Property Managers, caretakers and cleaners.
“All tenants are briefed with COVID-19 rules of sanitation and CMS has gone an extra mile in their customer care to the extent of distributing 2,000 facemasks and hand sanitizers to all our tenants,” said Prabhat Mishra, “All CMS facilities within Kampala city are sanitized 3 times a day.”
It is against this background that the inspection team for COVID-19 which visited Crane Management services Limited gave them the highest percentage mark among all the arcades in downtown Kampala.
Additional reporting by