Hope Fades as Multi-Million Rhino Camp Market Goes to Waste

The hope for reviving a multi-million market constructed in Rhino Camp town council in the Madi Okollo district continues to fade among locals and area leaders.

The market used to attract traders from the Democratic Republic of Congo-DRC, parts of Vurra, Koboko, Maracha, Terego and Yumbe districts. The traders would bring general merchandise to the market and buy items like goats, as well as fresh and dry fish from the landing site, which they take and sell in their districts.

However, the facility which was set up at a cost of 760 million shillings, under the North West Small Holder Agricultural Program, is rotting away after traders abandoned it and instead, created another market  at Okubani, three kilometres  from Rhino Camp trading centre.

According to the locals, high dues, the emergence of local markets in the refugee camps in the neighbouring Sub Counties of Rigbo, Ewanga and Bileafe in Terego considerably reduced the customer base at Rhino Camp market. They are appealing to the authorities to consider incentives to enable them to return to the market.

//Cue in; At first this market...

Cue out... things will change."//

Arua District Commercial Officer John Ezuma who supervised the construction of the market before it was handed over to the administration of the newly created Madi Okollo the district says that the market can only be revived if area leaders get back to the drawing board and address the problems that drove the traders out of the structures.

//Cue in; Rhino Camp market...

Cue out... this market back."//   

But Madi Okollo district chairman Genesis Acema told URN that the problems for the market started after an incident in which one of the construction workers was killed by the locals for allegedly engaging in an affair with a married woman in the trading centre.

According to him, there is need to cleanse the market of the bloodshed before engaging leaders for its revival.

//Cue in; During that construction...

Cue out... reorganizing that market."//

Under the same program, the Ministry of Agriculture completed Ejupala market in Vurra County, Nyadri in Maracha district and Kubala Market in Terego district.