Through their lawyer, Opwonya of Opwonya & Company Advocates, the traders argue that the municipal authorities agreed to provide an alternative site, and yet the initial plan of transferring them to the temporary site did not cater for their interests.
Kitgum market traders have filed an
application seeking an injunction restraining the municipal authorities from evicting them.
At least 100 vendors are operating an illegal satellite market in
town after resisting relocation to the temporary market located at the airfield
in Pandwong Division.
Kitgum municipal authorities had issued a one-week ultimatum to evict the traders after they defied the
directives to transfer to the new site to pave way for the modern market
construction.
Through their lawyer, Opwonya of Opwonya & Company Advocates,
the traders argue that the municipal authorities agreed to provide an
alternative site, and yet the initial plan of transferring them to the
temporary site did not cater for their interests.
They also argue that the new site is unsuitable for business
because of its open surrounding and distance from the business centre.
Kitgum LC5 Chairperson Jackson Omona blames the slow redevelopment
of the market on the rift between Central Division and Kitgum Municipal
authorities.
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Omona explains that the illegal satellite market being operated on
a piece of land in Central Division belongs to Chuwa West MP, Philip Polly Okin
has messed up the surrounding environment because the space was not planned for
a market.
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Central Division authorities are understood to be uncomfortable
with the relocation of over 1,200 market vendors to the new temporary site
because it would affect their local revenue collection.
In January, the vendors dragged the Municipal Council to court
protesting the relocation to the temporary site. They demanded 870 million
shillings compensation.
However, Emmanuel Banya, the Municipal Town Clerk warns that
vendors who have created and still continue to operate the illegal satellite
market will risk forceful eviction if they do not relocate to gazetted markets.
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Kitgum municipality is one of the 11 municipalities that include
Masaka, Moroto, Kasese, Entebbe, Tororo, Mbarara, Soroti, Lugazi and Arua to benefit
from the 316 billion modern market projects under the Markets and Agricultural
Trade Improvement Program – MATIP2 funded by the African Development
Bank.
Ochola's journalism career begun from Radio King 90.2 FM in Gulu around 2009, and Radio Rupiny 95.7 Fm under Vision Group in 2012. He also reported for Mighty Fire 91.5 Fm, Kitgum in 2015 before joining Wizarts Foundation in 2017.
He has been reporting for Uganda Radio Network (URN) since 2017 before being posted as Bureau Chief Kitgum, and latr Gulu between 2018 - 2021. Currently, he reports from Parliament.
