“This is, therefore, to direct you, to hand over the office to the area town agent with immediate effect. The handover should be accompanied by a detailed report and accountability. In the meantime, any person or company claiming ownership of the market land should also keep away from the market until we get guidance from the Attorney General or competent court,” Kisekka directed.
Mukono Municipality authorities have taken over the management of "Ani Yali Amanyi’ market, the main market in Goma Division following a dispute over tax collections. Two companies have been feuding over the collection of dues on the market.
They are ‘Ani Yali Amanyi’ Vendors Enterprise, which was established by the vendors and was acting on behalf of the municipality, and Gongobe Enterprises which was claiming to act on behalf of the new landlord where the market seats.
However, in a September 19th, 2022 letter, the Mukono Town Clerk, Godfrey Kisekka, says that the disputes have been affecting revenue collection since the vendors are confused about where to report.
On August 3, 2022, Gongobe Enterprises opened up offices at the market. Its manager, Swaibu Mwesigye started issuing notices informing vendors to remit all their market dues to his office, saying that he was acting on behalf of the landlord, Beatrice Yiga.
But in his letter, Kisekka notes that no individual or company should claim the responsibility of managing the market or owning it. He reveals that the contract of Ani Yali Amanyi, which was managing the market on behalf of the market elapsed in 2016, arguing that it has been acting illegally.
“This is, therefore, to direct you, to hand over the office to the area town agent with immediate effect. The handover should be accompanied by a detailed report and accountability. In the meantime, any person or company claiming ownership of the market land should also keep away from the market until we get guidance from the Attorney General or competent court,” Kisekka directed.
Our efforts to talk to Beatrice Yiga, who claims to own the land hosting the market didnt yield results. However, Swaibu Mwesigye, the manager of Gongobe Enterprise, says that they are not ready to close their offices. He insists that Yiga owns the market land but declined to reveal how she became the landlord.
Vendors claim that Mwesigye told them his boss bought off the land where the municipality operates the market some years back. The vendors have welcomed the decision of the municipality to take over the market management, saying it is likely to end the developing confusion regarding the payment of dues. Samson Luzige, one of the vendors, says the latter lacks knowledge about the operation of the market but wanted to take charge of collecting taxes.
//Cue in: “Naye government bwevuddeyo…
Cue out: …mukatale kaffe yaani.”//
Moses Bukenya, another vendor says they have contributed a lot towards the development of the market and deserve some respect whenever new developments are being introduced.
