Ibrahim Mugisa, a member of the market governing body explains that they have on several occasions informed the council about the power and sewage problem but nothing has been done.
Vendors
at the Market Hoima central market in Hoima City are up in arms with the city
authorities over the persistent power blackout and poor sanitation that has hampered
their working conditions for long.
The vendors say they have operated without
power for the last three months, and also had none functional toilets for some time.
They say the bad smell from the toilets is greatly frustrating their operations yet the city authorities
have kept a deaf ear despite several appeals made by vendors to put things right.
Peter
Bagonza, a vendor says although they engaged the Hoima East Division city clerk
for action against the disconnections and poor sanitation in the market, nothing
positive has yielded blaming their troubles on the city authorities for failing to cater for
electricity, water and appropriate garbage collection.
Runyoro
//Cue
in: “Nyinaho kalyango kange…
Cue
out:… ha rubaju hali.”//
Kate
Atuhairwe, a fresh foods dealer in the market has blamed the City Council for
concentrating on revenue collection rather than improving people's well-being.
She says electricity and water are vital in keeping the market washrooms in a
hygienic way because one has to flash the toilets after easing themselves
there.
According
to Atuhairwe, they have been paying rent and other market dues to the city
council but the Council does not care about their lives.
Ibrahim
Mugisa, a member of the market governing body explains that they have on several
occasions informed the council about the power and sewage problem but nothing has been
done.
Fred
Kyomukama, a fish seller in the market said the market does not have functional
toilet facilities and the sewage system blocked and sometimes sewage flows to
people’s homes.
Kyomukama
says the management of the market has been compelled to open up the pipes
directing human wastes to trenches.
Runyoro
//Cue
in: “hati etoyi zikolera…
Cue
out:…gatekaho murundi gumu.”//
According
to information obtained by Uganda Radio Network, UMEME is demanding shillings 12 million for
electricity and the vendors have been collecting the money.
William
Kasigazi, the Deputy Resident City Commissioner for Hoima East Division said
that they are engaging both the vendors and Hoima City Council officials to
resolve the challenges which the market has been facing.
He
says he got several reports about the bad conditions of the market and they are
engaging the leadership of Hoima city to come out and address the concerns of
the vendors.
Runyoro
//Cue
in: “baitu ato twa.”//
Cue
out:…bali bakora aheru.”//
Bryan
Kaboyo, the mayor for Hoima City admits the need for the maintenance of the
sewage system and garbage collection in the market but hastened to say that
they are financially incapacitated.
The
Hoima Central Market was built at a tune of 13.7 billion Shillings with funding
from the African Development Bank (ADB) under the Markets and Agriculture Trade
Improvement Project-MATI.
