Gaba Market in Deplorable Condition Year After Flooding

Vendors in Gaba market in Makindye Division are still battling the impact of flooding, a year after the increased volume of waters in lake Victoria. Whenever its rains, water floods the market worsening the already bad situation.

Over than 2000 vendors now operate on the roadside while others operate makeshift businesses in open grounds. The recent rains forced them from their stalls. Some of the stalls and lockups are submerged following the recent heavy downpour in Kampala.  

Local officials say the number of vendors in the market has dropped from 3000 to now less than 500 people because of flooding. They say hundreds of vendors have been forced to close their businesses while some have moved to higher areas such as Kasenyi. Those operating inside the market only occupy a very small area, the size of a classroom.

Frank Kiguli, one of the area leaders says that hundreds of vendors have totally lost business since the onset of the heavy rains, which flooded their stalls. He says that they sometimes sell their goods through sales agents or hawkers who move with the goods from place to place.

Luganda byte:

//Cue in: “Embera ya mazi …
 

Cue out: … yade omirundi omu.”//

Sandara Naduli, who sells bananas told URN that they are registering losses as customers don’t buy from them because of the poor sanitation in the area. Nadduli says that they are currently trying to heap sand around their stalls to raise them high to prevent them from being submerged.


Some of the vendors want the government to develop Gabba market saying it’s strategic for the visitors who go to the landing site. Gabriel Musisi is popularly known as Gabuda, the LC 1 Chairperson of Gabba Cell faults the Division authorities and central government of failing to improve the working environment for the vendors yet they pay taxes.  

He says that they have been pleading with the government since 2020 to build the market but to date, nothing has happened. He has warned that the problem of flooding at Gabba market won’t cease unless the government constructs a modern market for the vendors.  

//Cue in: Akatale kafe …  

Cue out: … space eye.”//

Peter Ntalo, another vendor has lost hope in government rescuing them from such pathetic conditions. He says their cries have fallen on the deaf ears.

//Cue in: "Some countries …

Cue out: … more customers.”//    

He also said visitors who are attracted to the market have no parking space and are discouraged from buying from them because of the poor condition of the market.

When Gabba, Luzira and Mulungu areas flooded last year, the government promised to relocate the communities to safer places but to date, nothing has been done. There is also resistance from the community in the area where the government wants to settle the vendors.  

Our attempts to get a comment from the Directorate of Gender and Community Development Officer at Kampala Capital City Authority, Dr. Geoffrey Galukande didn’t yield results.