Janet Ondo, one of the few vendors remaining, shared that the market was bustling before community markets started springing up along nearby roads, pulling traders and customers away. She remembers it as a top revenue generator for the district, but today few people are willing to trade there.
Vendors at Agosusu Market in Adjumani District are calling on the government to take decisive action against the surge of unauthorized roadside and private markets, which they say are drawing business away from the official government-constructed market valued at over 2 billion Shillings.
Agosusu Market, built in 2005 in Agosusu Village, Openzinzi Parish, Adropi Sub-county, was inaugurated in 2009 by then-State Minister for Agriculture, Aggrey Henry Bagiire. It once attracted traders from neighboring districts, including Obongi, Arua, Moyo, and Gulu, and was a significant revenue source for Adjumani District.
However, the market has since fallen into disuse, and vendors abandoned it about a decade ago. Today, only three vendors were found at the site, passing time on the market’s verandah due to the lack of customers. Janet Ondo, one of the few vendors remaining, shared that the market was bustling before community markets started springing up along nearby roads, pulling traders and customers away. She remembers it as a top revenue generator for the district, but today few people are willing to trade there.
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Florence Poni, another vendor, testified that she used to make up to 500,000 Shillings in weekly profits. However, she now struggles to sell items worth even 12,000 Shillings due to low customer traffic. Poni also explained that the subcounty has ceased collecting revenue from the market, yet this hasn’t motivated vendors to return.
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The 2.16-billion-Shilling Agosusu Market is one of five markets funded by the African Development Bank in Adjumani District under the Northwest Smallholder Agricultural Development Project. The market sits on three acres and features five main blocks with 157 rooms, stalls, a breastfeeding room, a butchery section, and a slaughter slab.
Despite these facilities, the market remains mostly vacant. According to Wilson Manga, a former revenue officer for Adropi Sub-county, Agosusu Market used to generate up to 700,000 Shillings during peak hours but saw a sharp decline in revenue by 2019.
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Adropi Subcounty Chairman Richard Duku disclosed that the local government has tried advertising the market and even imposed restrictions on private markets to encourage Agosusu, but these efforts have failed. Neighboring sub counties, he noted, have allowed unregulated markets to operate without collecting taxes.
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Richard Kaijuka, the district vice chairperson of Adjumani, expressed disappointment with the market's underutilization, referring to it as a “white elephant.” He suggested that the district might need to repurpose the market, possibly by introducing an animal auction market to make use of the facility and avoid further waste of taxpayer funds.
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The Government of Uganda secured a 39-billion-Shilling loan from the African Development Bank in 2000 to fund the Northwest Smallholder Agricultural Development Project. This initiative aimed to support over 200,000 rural farming households by enhancing productivity, expanding market access, and improving infrastructure. However, the underuse of Agosusu Market underscores the challenges in achieving sustainable impact from these investments.
Dramadri Federick
Freelancer