Kabale market tenants demand stalls in new facility
The interim chairman of the Kabale central tenants group, Mr George Rwandare (right), addresses members at Kigongi market in Kabale Town on Wednesay. PHOTO / ROBERT MUHEREZA
What you need to know:
- The traders accused municipal council leaders of side-lining them in the reallocation process, contrary to the memorandum of understanding they had signed earlier before the construction of the new structure.
About 100 former tenants of Kabale Central Market in Kabale District have expressed dissatisfaction over the unfair distribution of stalls in the newly constructed market.
The traders accused municipal council leaders of side-lining them in the reallocation process, contrary to the memorandum of understanding they had signed earlier before the construction of the new structure.
During a meeting on Wednesday, the interim chairman of the Kabale central tenants group, Mr George Rwandare, said they had resolved to petition the council authorities to find out why they had not been involved.
“We have received information that the construction of Kabale central market is complete and plans are under way to have it handed over to municipal council authorities,” Mr Rwandare said.
He added that last week, council authorities held a meeting with traders that owned lockup shops and constituted a committee to oversee the re-allocation of the new lock ups but the tenants were left out.
“We must petition the municipal council authorities to involve us in the process,” he said.
Prior to the construction of the new market, the traders were relocated to Kigongi open space in central division while others were shifted to the former cemetery land in southern division in December 2019.
The municipal council secured a Shs23b loan from the African Development Bank-funded Markets and Agricultural Trade Improvements Project (MATIP) for the market construction.
Construction was expected to be completed in two years and Chongqing International Construction, a Chinese company, was contracted to undertake the construction works.
Other tenants wondered why they signed an MoU before they shifted from the old market.
“The council authorities promised to allocate to us lockups immediately after the construction of the new market because many were to be constructed. Now that the construction is complete, the authorities are not including us on the re-allocation committee, and we are worried that the move is aimed at ignoring us,” Mr Vincent Nanjuna, a tenant, said.
However, the municipal council mayor, Mr Sentaro Byamugisha, asked the tenants to remain patient because the authorities started with the landlords that had running leases.
“As we wait for the contractor to hand over the completed market, we have engaged the former landlords that had running leases in the old central market that was demolished before this new one by forming re-allocation committee that will ensure that they get the first priority and thereafter, the tenants shall follow. We have more than 400 landlords,” Mr Byamugisha said.
