She said that during budget discussions for this financial year, they agreed that the revenue collection from the Matooke be increased to 16.8 million. However, the documents presented indicated a collection of 101 million, averaging 8 million monthly – a figure that wasn't agreed upon during budget discussions.
Richard Mugisha, the Deputy Mbarara City Clerk, says that they set up a committee comprising the Acting City Commercial Officer, Principal Revenue Officer, and the Senior Revenue Officer to among others handle the petitions from the vendors.
The Mbarara City South Division Council Mayor, Jomo Mugabe, says that the vandals have destroyed and stolen some of the facilitates that include Yaka meters, switches, doors, and their frames on level 4.
Mbarara City authorities started demarcating the market on Monday and directed vendors to remove their displays from the demarcated areas which will now be allocated to Mobile money agents, and second-hand cloth dealers, among others.
Last year, the City Executive Committee chaired by Mayor Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi resolved to relocate the traders from the streets to Amagara Marungi Business Park.
Donozio Kibanda, a businessman in Mbarara City and resident of Birere in the Isingiro district, says that the authorities have been promising to work on the bridge every financial year in vain.
Two weeks ago Raphael Magyezi, the Local Government Minister appointed a 25-member committee chaired by the Acting Principal Commercial Officer Joseline Kiconco to carry out a new verification of the previous list of vendors.
He says the appeals committee is joined by the DISO and the deputy RCC and these are tasked with verifying the memorandum of Understanding between the Vendors and the Ministry and also verifying the lists.
While commissioning the new market, the Local Government Minister Raphael Magyezi said that the market belonged to Mbarara City Council and not the Kiosk Owners Association.
The city’s revenue collection for the financial year 2021/2022 was projected at 4.7 Billion Shilling. However, by the end of the second quarter, only 1.3 Billion Shillings was realized.
Haji Jamil Katongole Bakyansi, the Welfare Officer of Mbarara Taxi Drivers Association, says that they pay between Shillings 1.8 and 2 million each month in rent, which prompted them to construct their own offices.
