De-democratisation and the rights of street vendors in Kampala, Uganda

Young, G. (2018) De-democratisation and the rights of street vendors in Kampala, Uganda. International Journal of Human Rights, 22(8), pp. 1007-1029. (doi: 10.1080/13642987.2018.1492915)

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Abstract

For a large segment of the urban poor in Kampala, Uganda, street vending has long served as a key livelihood strategy in the absence of formal employment opportunities and a public social safety net. This article explores the effects of de-democratisation on the rights of street vendors in Kampala, describing how changes to local government institutions and processes have forced vendors to adopt new strategies to assert their rights in an environment of closed political space. It argues that for street vendors in the city, economic and social rights are fundamentally rooted in political rights. As de-democratisation has robbed them of their political rights, it has also robbed them of their ability to assert their right to engage in their economic activities, leaving them increasingly vulnerable and marginalised. Barring a fundamental change in the city’s political landscape, the hardships that vendors face appear to have no end in sight.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Young, Dr Graeme
Authors: Young, G.
College/School:College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies
Journal Name:International Journal of Human Rights
Publisher:Taylor & Francis
ISSN:1364-2987
ISSN (Online):1744-053X
Published Online:12 July 2018
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor and Francis Group
First Published:First published in International Journal of Human Rights 22(8): 1007-1029
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy

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