Yosam Muhinya Ntarwete, the market master says that they successfully allocated all the lockups to the vendors who applied for them but unfortunately, they have taken a backseat rendering the facility idle.
Vendors in Moroto Municipality have been given a two-week ultimatum to occupy the empty lockups in the
central market or give up their spaces to interested traders.
Moroto Central Market was constructed under the Markets and Agriculture Trade Improvement Program (MATIP-II) which was funded by the government of Uganda and the Arab Bank of Economic Development in Africa (BADEA). It has 461
lockups, 314 stalls, 20 butcheries, 17 kitchens, seven offices, a commodity hall,
a daycare centre, a clinic and space for banks.
However, only fresh food dealers have
occupied one side of the market since they joined the facility in March 2022. URN has learnt that although the municipal authorities reduce the lockup rates from
100,000 to 70,000 Shillings per month, several lockups
have remained unoccupied.
Yosam Muhinya Ntarwete, the market
master says that they successfully
allocated all the lockups to the vendors who applied for them but unfortunately, they
have taken a backseat rendering the facility idle. He says that to solve the lacuna, the authorities have now issued a notice requiring all lockup owners who have not
occupied their spaces to do so by June or else the spaces will be re-advertised.
According to him, by the end of
May, all the lockups that have not been occupied will be given out to interested
applicants who are ready to run the business. The ultimatum was
issued after a meeting held between the vendors and the market master on Saturday.
//Cue in; ‘’the majority of them...
Cue out...occupy the market.’’//
But Salim Wambede, the vendor's chairperson said he is disappointed because even the few vendors who occupied the market earlier are deserting the facility over issues that can be
addressed by the authorities. He added that although the vendors have shared their challenges no one has listened to
their concerns.
Earlier on, the fresh food dealers
who occupied their stalls were protesting against the
increasing insecurity that led to the loss of commodities which forced some of
them to desert the market.
Micheal Otim, one of the fresh food
dealers, said he will be forced out of the market if the municipal authorities
fail to address the issues of poor sanitation and escalating insecurity in the
market. Otim says their commodities are
stolen by street children despite the presence of police officers
deployed to guard the facility at night.
Wambede says that he also cannot convince vendors to return to the market when the situation is still bad.
//Cue in; ‘’the burglar proofs...
Cue out....things
were stolen.’’//
Moroto Municipality Mayor Ismail Mohammed acknowledged the insecurity
challenges but said they are working hard to
address the matter so that people enjoy the facility. The mayor also rejected calls for a forceful eviction of street vendors from the municipality saying that it may not be ideal to expel them when there are still major concerns about the management of the market.
