Traders count losses over closure of two markets

Thousands of traders in Busia and Kabale districts are stranded after their markets were closed to avert the spread of coronavirus.
Busia Main Market was closed in March while the fresh food market known as Ahabuyonza in Kaharo Sub-county, Kabale District, was closed last Friday over failure to comply with standard operating procedures for preventing spread of Covid-19.

The Kabale Resident District Commissioner, Mr Darius Nandinda, said the Covid-19 taskforce resolved to temporarily close the market because the traders were not observing social distancing guidelines, had no provisions for hand washing and were not putting on face masks.
He said the task force will meet the traders today to decide on the next step.

Cases
In Busia Main Market, Mr Farouk Wamboya, a trader, said he had stocked beans worth Shs180m, which he borrowed from a bank.
“All the green grams and beans have developed moulds due to high moisture content and I stand to lose all my stock,” he said at the weekend.
Mr Abdu Buwambo, another trader, said he had invested Shs25m in about 250 bags of maize but the stock is rotting away.
“The closure was abrupt and we had no time to take out our cereals because police came firing teargas canisters, while ordering every one out of the market,” he narrated.

Mr Ahmada Masembe Afani, the deputy chairperson of the market, said the closure has also affected hundreds of farmers and transporters all over the country.
“This market employs close to 1,500 people and is a collecting centre for cereals from all parts of the country,” he explained. Mr Patrick Opio, who sells millet and sorghum, said he had borrowed money from the bank and wondered how he was going to repay it. The traders last week petitioned ministers Obiga Kania (Internal Affairs) and Julius Wandera Maganda (East African Community) over the closure of the market.
Mr Geoffrey Wandera, the Busia District chairperson, said the closure of the market had left many residents at the border without food and any source of income, a situation which was leading to an escalation in crime.

Mr Maganda, on his part, said since the market has about 70 per cent buyers from Kenya, it is important that the directives of the closure are reviewed to help traders dispose off their stock.
“My request to the minister is to have this market opened so that traders sell off their stock to avoid further loss,” he argued.

Mr Kania said apart from Busia market, border markets all over the country had been closed.
He added that whereas he was satisfied that the traders had put in place all what is required in the prevention of coronavirus, the decision to have the market reopened lies with the national taskforce.
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