The Juba City Council has issued a formal legal notice ordering all roadside vendors operating in unauthorized locations to vacate public spaces within three days, effective Friday, 13 February 2026.
The directive, issued under the Local Government Act, 2009 and the Council’s municipal bylaws, targets businesses operating from temporary or improvised structures along road reserves, pavements, pedestrian walkways, drainage channels, roundabouts, and areas surrounding public institutions.
Affected operators include roadside restaurants, kusuks, washing bays, hawkers, and other informal traders whose activities fall outside designated market areas.
In the notice, city authorities stressed that the affected locations are not recognized market zones and therefore constitute unlawful occupation of public land.
Vendors have been instructed to remove all temporary structures, equipment, and merchandise and relocate to legally approved markets, authorized business zones, or privately owned premises approved for commercial use.
According to the Council, the enforcement is aimed at restoring order and improving urban management in line with the Juba City master plan and zoning regulations.
Officials said the decision is intended to achieve several key objectives, including:
Ensuring the free flow of traffic, enhancing public safety and security, improving sanitation and urban infrastructure, and protecting pedestrian walkways and drainage systems.
Authorities noted that unregulated roadside trading has contributed to congestion, safety risks, and environmental degradation across the city.
The Council warned that failure to comply within the three-day period will result in enforcement actions, including:
Confiscation of goods, demolition of illegal structures, possible legal prosecution under municipal bylaws;
On Friday afternoon, Council enforcement teams were deployed across various parts of Juba to hand-deliver official notices directly to vendors at their places of operation.
Officials said the outreach effort was designed to ensure direct communication, raise awareness, and reduce misunderstandings ahead of enforcement.
The three-day ultimatum runs from Friday, 13 February, and will expire on Sunday, 15 February 2026.
The directive is expected to affect hundreds of informal traders across the city as authorities prepare to move from notice to enforcement, marking one of the most significant municipal actions aimed at reorganizing public spaces in Juba in recent years.
