Vendors to get market next month, officials say

Expensive move? The vendors have, however, said the Shs120,000 to be paid for security at the new market is high for them.

The market that was allocated to vendors and traders, who are currently operating in areas not designated by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), is expected to start operation in February, officials have said.

Speaking to the Daily Monitor yesterday, Mr Juma Tinyefunza, the official in charge of publicity at Usafi Market, said all that is left is to fix the lights and water.

KCCA in November last year liaised with SAFINET Developers to use their five acres of land near Katwe, Kampala, to reduce the clogging of city streets by vendors.

“No one was born to work on the streets and we are soon closing the registration of vendors. People should stop politics and drama; this is time for work,” Mr Tinyefunza said.

Vendors are required to remit Shs120,000 monthly to cater for security, water and electricity bills that are provided by the developers. However, many vendors have said the amount is high.

“They (vendors) are just lying, when a person calculates the money the vendors spend when KCCA officials arrest them, it is more than that. And we set up this amount putting into consideration the amount paid by vendors in other markets,” Mr Tinyefunza reasoned.

Mr Patrick Mbaziira, one of the developers, said billions of shillings have been spent on ground works, putting up shelters and more is still being sunk into the project.

KCCA recently evicted vendors in Kisaasi, where several kiosks and stalls erected on the streets, were destroyed.

akiyaga@ug.nationmedia.com