Shopkeepers and traders in different parts of the country are striking to protest accelerating inflation and the local currency’s rapid depreciation in recent months.

Many shops in Kampala didn’t open today, especially in down town where shopping malls and markets remained closed for most of the day.

Kampala Kikuubo shops remained closed on Wednesday

Issa Sekito the spokesman for Kampala city traders association KACITA says shops and Malls are all closed in protest of government’s apparent inability to deal with inflation and the weakening of the Uganda shillings against the dollar and other currencies.

Ugandans has endured 7 months of rising prices with nationwide protests erupting in April over increase in Food and fuel prices in the walk to work protests.

Last week, the Uganda shilling hit an all time low of 1750 to the dollar blamed on low dollar supply in the economy and despite the Bank of Uganda pumping in some dollars, the recovery of the Uganda shilling has been slow.

Since the start of the year the shilling has depreciated by at least 19% . Ssekito says despite the depreciation of the shilling, Uganda’s tax body insist that traders pay some taxes in dollars worsening their situation.

Kacita also says government has not put in place measures in the 2010/2011 budget to ease the cost of doing business.

Last month the governor of the central bank Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile was reported to have criticized president Yoweri Museveni for using the bank reserves for the 720 million dollar fighter jets contract.

The government has appealed to the traders to call off the strike with Trade and Industry Minister Amelia Kyambadde promising the President will meet and solve the traders’ concerns immediately he returns from his current Africa Union trip in South Africa.

By Isaac Senabulya