Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi, Mbarara City Mayor says as the central market nears completion they have written to the Ministry of local government to guide on how the allocation should be done.
Mbarara City
authorities have written to the Ministry of Local Government seeking guidance
on the relocation of vendors to the newly constructed central market.
More than 700 vendors were temporarily relocated to Independence Park in 2017
to pave way for the reconstruction of the market. The government has on four occasions extended
the deadline for completion of the market after the contractor Roko
Construction Company failed to meet the agreed deadline.
Roko was
awarded the contract in 2018 under the World Bank Uganda Support to Municipal
Infrastructure Development Program- USMID.
However, the 21 Billion Shillings market has faced several setbacks that
included the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, expiration of the contractors’
performance guarantees among others. The four-storied market is expected to
accommodate more than 3,000 traders.
Robert
Mugabe Kakyebezi, Mbarara City Mayor says as the central market nears completion
they have written to the Ministry of local government to guide on how the allocation
should be done.
//Cue in:
“the central market…
Cue out: …and
commission this.”//
But Enos Tuhame, the City Councilor representing workers says that writing to
the ministry was not necessary. He explains that last month, the Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Local Government in October guided on the relocation guidelines.
Tuhame says
that according to the guidelines, only vendors that were previously in the
market should be considered.
//Cue in: “actually when I…
Cue out:
…guided like this.”//
Muhammad
Byansi, City councillor representing Mbarara City South A says as the city
leadership is seeking guidance to avoid disagreements. Byansi also wants the city
authorities to consider allocating roadside traders space in the new market to
reduce congestion on city streets.
Nyombi
Muhammad, the Chairperson of Mbarara Central Market Vendors Association wants
the city leadership to meet the traders before seeking guidance from the
Ministry.
Raphael
Magyezi, the Minister for Local Government says that the city authorities
should work together with the chairperson of the Market Vendors and give priority
to traders who were shifted to the temporary market.
