URA finally bows to pressure, removes downtown tax office kiosk

The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has announced it will remove its controversial container tax office stationed along Namirembe Road in downtown Kampala.

The decision followed hours of intense debate online where some social media users accused the tax body and KCCA of double standards, having removed similar structures owned by traders and vendors in the city center.

In a statement on Sunday evening, Commissioner General John Musinguzi Rujoki confirmed that the temporary structure outside Kikuubo Lane would be dismantled by close of business on Monday, February 23, 2026.

“URA salutes KCCA for the good work being done in the city. The temporary tax office in Kikubo has served its purpose and will be removed by COB tomorrow 23/02/26,” Mr Rujoki wrote

He added that free taxpayer support services previously offered at the container would now be available at the URA’s new Taxpayer Support Centre located on the ground floor of Pearl Towers on Kintante Road, until a closer office is established within the central business district near Kikubo. 

He also apologized for the anxiety the debate had caused and wished the public a blessed Sunday.

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), in partnership with the police and the Ministry for Kampala, recently launched a sweeping operation last Friday which has seen metallic and wooden kiosks dismantled and street vendors evicted from the city centre.

Prominent voices, including journalist Sudhir Byaruhanga and State Minister for Youth and Children’s Affairs Balaam Barugahara, questioned why URA’s container remained standing while other temporary roadside structures were being removed. 

They argued that fairness and consistency required the tax authority to relocate to a permanent building, just as vendors had been directed to move to gazetted markets.

“For the sake of fairness and consistency, the container currently placed in the area should be removed. Otherwise, the public may perceive double standards in the ongoing efforts to create a smart and secure city for the people of Kampala and the authorities alike,” said Minister Barugahara.

Earlier, URA had defended the kiosk as a fully functional and strategically located office essential for tax education and handling inquiries from traders in the busy downtown hub. 

However, critics maintained that many displaced vendors had also considered their roadside spots strategic for business.