Geoffrey Otim, the Gulu City Bardege-Layibi Division Mayor told URN on Wednesday that they negotiated with the power distributor to give them some time to clear the outstanding bills but their request fell on deaf ears.
Florence Lallam, the Woman Councilor representing Pece –Laroo North Division in Gulu City who led the team for the exercise told URN in an interview that the traders who were deregistered from their shops were not present at the time of the verification exercise and that the vendors who were renting from them were the ones registered as the new shop owners.
Alex Otema, the Chairman of Keyo Road Business Community told URN in an interview that they were told about the digital revenue collection system last year during registration for local service tax. He says that no one has sensitized them ever since then on how the system works, something leading to tax evasion.
Local Government Minister Raphael Magyezi says the public officials of Gulu City are not supposed to be vendors at Gulu Main Market that they would be supervising because it would be tantamount to conflict of interest when handling issues related to the market.
The market was on Monday and Tuesday placed under key and lock after Gulu City Council authorities announced the increase in rental fees for stalls and lock-up shops.
Justin Komakech, a resident of Amuru District was brutally arrested in August, and later tortured by Environment Police personnel after he recorded a phone video of the officers extorting money from a charcoal dealer in a truck. The officers forced Komakech to write an apology prompting the intervention of Amuru District leaders. He later reported the matter to the Police Professional Standard Unit in Gulu City, but to-date his tormentors are still at large, yet some witnesses declined to record statements.
Catherine Lanyero, the Gulu City Commercial Officer says that the market’s cold room lies empty six years after commissioning the market. She says that this is frustrating the vendors whose businesses require the cold roo
Robert Towler, the team leader of German Development Cooperation, says they that have developed an 18 year strategic program to improve garbage management, water and sanitation in the City.
Patrick Omaya, the Market Vendors` Chairperson wants the new Gulu City Council leadership to prioritize abandoning roadside and street vending immediately when they assume offices in May this year.
In their petition handed over to Bosco Odoch Olak, the National Resistance Movement Coordinator for Northern Uganda on Saturday, the vendors want the president to intervene in the matter and ensure constant power supply.
According to information obtained by our reporter, a sack of silverfish costs Shillings 950,000 while a basin costs Shillings 45,000 in Entebbe and Kalangala district.
Megolonyo notes that hosting campaigns at the market also affects their revenue collections but also could lead to the spread of COVID-19 which will mean the market could also be closed.
When our reporter visited the market, there was no single temperature gun at any of the three entrances to the market, very few people were washing hands at the hand washing point and even fewer were wearing face masks inside the market.
Bonny Okema, a phone technician along the main street told URN while laughing that he was shocked by the rare view of the presidential hopeful. Okema explained that he had thought that the country`s youngest presidential candidate was an artist shooting his video since he was moving with youth who visibly looked like street gangs.
Parents say that children with the condition in parts of northern Uganda are suffering from marginalization, longstanding stigma and social exclusion from within their families and communities. Based on their skin colour, they are feared, held with suspicion and believed to have supernatural powers.
But many infants are still seen with their mothers in the market, while the centre with a capacity of more than 20 preschoolers is occupied by Uganda Registration Services Bureau – URSB, a semi-autonomous government agency responsible for civil registrations.
