Business in Kasese limps following Omusinga attack

Kasese.

Days after the deadly raid on the Rwenzururu Palace, which left more than 60 people dead according to police records, business in Kasese is struggling to get back to where it was before.

The November 26 raid of Rwenzururu Kingdom offices in Kasese Town which was characterised by Police and military deployment was followed by a mass desertion from the town and the business community closing their places of work especially shops.

Other businesses such as boda bodas cyclists who chauffeur people around the town also parked their motorcycles fearing to be caught up in the fighting.

By 8p.m on Tuesday night when Daily Monitor moved around the streets in Kasese Town, most of the shops that would ideally close long after 9 p.m had long been closed and the usually busy streets deserted.

Kasese Central Market, the main market in the town has since the fighting, had few customers and traders. On the day of the attacks, few braved the occasional gunfire and continued plying their trade.

“Business is not good since Saturday,” says Boaz Kalitusi, a special hire driver in the town. Mr Kalitusi’s clients are usually tourists visiting the various sites in the region including Mt Rwenzori. For fear of getting caught up in the clashes, the tourists are not coming, according to Mr Kalitusi.

To elaborate Kalitusi’s thought, the United Kingdom government issued a travel alert cautioning its citizens against travelling to the troubled Rwenzori region district.

“There were reports on November 27 2016 of an attack against a Police post in Kasese (Western Uganda) involving loss of life. You should exercise caution if travelling to the area,” the warning read.

Mr Silver Agaba, a mobile money operator, faults government for what he terms as the “poor handling of the security situation” in the area. Every time the security personnel conduct an operation in the area, Mr Agaba says, he suffers countless losses not only in his mobile money operation but also his other business he declined to name.

When Daily Monitor moved through Kasese Town, many of the major supermarkets were closed. One of the traders, who declined to be named, said he had escaped to his village in neighbouring Bushenyi District following last Saturday’s shooting.

“I have been making calls to my colleagues and friends and when they told me the town has settled, I returned.”