Vendors protest as Mbale market leadership, council trade accusations over garbage collection

MBALE: Vendors in Mbale central market have protested over failure by the municipal council to collect garbage for the last three month.
Mbale central market upper entrance gate has been turned into a garbage dumping site. Heaps of garbage is littered outside the market on the road that leads to Mbale Police Barracks in what seems like a competition for space by food vendors the stinky garbage.
The angry vendors said the market is chocking on heaps of uncollected garbage, which they claim, emits unbearable stench, which has repelled customers.

Ms Grace Namono, one of food vendor said she has failed to make any sales due to the awful smell from uncollected garbage.
“The situation has become unbearable and we have lost customers due to the smell emanating from the garbage dumped near the market,” Ms Namono, said.
The vendors blocked the market road for hours in protest.
Ms Juliet Nabukwasi, another vendor said if the municipal council has failed to collect garbage, they should stop collecting market fees.
“Sometimes you can find dead animals like dogs, used pads and condoms thrown on top of the heaps,” she said.
They said have written to the municipal leadership on several occasions but in vain.

“The council has been promising to come and collect the garbage but up to-date nothing has been done,”Ms Jane Nabukwasi, another vendor, said.
The Chairperson, Mbale central market Traders Association, Mr Ayubu Madoi, said the council leadership has neglected their duties.
“Vendors are always paying their fees for garbage collection on daily basis and timely but the council leadership has failed at their job,” Mr Madoi, said.
He added that it’s unfortunate that the council has only one vehicle which collects garbage in the entire town.
The Deputy Town Clerk, Mr Kenneth Waniaye Khatuli said the council had been collecting garbage effectively until their truck broke down.
He added that the market leadership collects Shs2 million daily but they don’t remit the money to the council account, an accusation they deny.
“The leadership of the market has also affected revenue collection in the market. They collect loading and off-loading fees and instead share it among individuals,” Mr Khatuli said.
The market was constructed under Markets and Agricultural Trade Improvement Programme (MATIP) at a cost of Shs26.9 billion from African Development bank. The market has 2,800 registered vendors.