Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /usr/www/users/urnnet/a/story.php on line 43 MPs Direct Mbarara City Leaders to Allocate Stalls in New Market to Stranded Vendors :: Uganda Radionetwork
Adam Kabatano a fruit vendor, told members of the committee that many vendors occupied the market in 1987 but were surprised when their names were not included on the list of vendors to occupy the newly constructed market.
Members of
Parliament on the committee of Public Service and Local Government has directed
Mbarara City Clerk to allocate stalls in Mbarara Central Market to 200 vendors.
The directive followed a meeting on Wednesday between the MPs, members of the
allocation committee, city leadership, and a section of vendors who missed out
on stalls.
Adam
Kabatano a fruit vendor, told members of the committee that many vendors
occupied the market in 1987 but were surprised when their names were not
included on the list of vendors to occupy the newly constructed market.
//Cue in: “nkaza omu central…
Cue out:
…ryangye nishanga barinagire.”//
Other traders blamed the city authorities for branding them landlords and
deliberately leaving them out of the relocation even after paying rent.
//Cue in: “I
want to…
Cue out:
…and this one.”//
The
Chairperson of the Committee Godfrey Onzima the Aringa County Member of
Parliament asked the authorities not to abandon the original lists that were
compiled by the Ministry of Local Government and the city council when the
vendors were being relocated to the Independence Park in 2017.
He directed that the appeals committee be disbanded and that the City Clerk
Asse Abireeba use the original lists to relocate the vendors.
//Cue in:
“who were there…
Cue out:
…with an appeal.”//
Onzima, faulted the allocation committee and the City leadership for not
following the guidelines that were set by the Ministry of local government to
assist in the allocation of stalls and Kiosks to vendors.
//Cue in: “ministry of local
… Cue out:
…against these guidelines.”//
Robert
Mugabe Kakyebezi the Mbarara City Mayor told the committee that the relocation process
was still on and the appeals committee chaired by the Resident City Commissioner
was addressing the grievances of the vendors.
He, however,
said that a section of vendors is claiming ownership and have dragged Mbarara
City Council to court.
//Cue in:
“so those issues…
Cue out:
…owner oba what.”//
Emmanuel
Muhumuza the Acting Chairperson of the Vendors Association said that will study
the Memorandum of Understanding that the vendors signed in 2017.
He said that
out of the 1000 stalls and Kiosks in the central Market only 800 have been
occupied.
