Mannequins standing in window displays or outside clothes shops in town are dressed to attract customers.
It is rare to see one unclothed. But there is talk in some circles that traders are sexualizing them, and dressing, especially the female mannequins, in provocative clothing.
Mannequins are dummies used by artists, tailors and dressmakers to display or fit clothing.
Ivan Mukaya, a trader in Down Kampala says mannequins have been his source of income for years.
According to Mukaya traders prefer a certain size and build on these models.
In Kampala’s downtown business hub, the mannequins are a very common marketing tool to attract shoppers
They are dressed up in all sorts of fashions, some even have wigs on their heads.
Some people say their use should be regulated, with one trader in downtown Kampala saying that some people look at the mannequins in a sexual manner, and that is the big problem.
The first fashion mannequins were made in France in the mid-19th century by artists to produce a more lifelike appearance to attract buyers.