Minister Magyezi intervenes in Kabale central market wrangles

The Minister of Local Government Mr Raphael Magyezi has formed a special committee to investigate corruption tendencies that allegedly marred the registration and relocation of vendors into the newly opened Kabale central market in Kabale District.

Mr Magyezi on Monday toured the new market premises where some traders claimed that they were not allocated lockup shops, stalls or any other working space yet they had cleared everything.

“A special committee chaired by the Resident District Commissioner and District Internal Security Officer should investigate the whole exercise of registration and the re-location of vendors into the new Kabale central market. The committee should also verify the list of all the traders that were allocated working spaces in that market. I need a report of their findings in a period of 10 days so that it can guide the central government on the next course of action,” Mr Magyezi said.

He also tasked the committee to investigate whether the Kabale municipal council mayor Mr Byamugisha Sentaro, the town clerk Ms Justine Barekye and the ministry of local government officials involved themselves in the illegal allocation of lockup shops and stalls and whether they solicited bribes from non-qualifying vendors.

“A general inquiry file should be opened at Kabale police station for all aggrieved vendors to register their complaints,” Mr Magyezi added.

He ordered the arrest of the Kabale central market master Mr Ben Mfitumukiza who doubles as the principal town agent in Kabale municipality and the commercial officer for Kabale municipality Mr Fidelis Akankwasa for their alleged involvement in corruption tendencies during the registration and relocation of vendors.

Rev Jack Katarishangwa, Mr George Rwandare and Mr Julius Turinawe led the team of the aggrieved vendors as they accused the town mayor Mr Byamugisha of directly involving himself in the allocation of lockup shops to the traders of his choice yet it was against the MATIP guidelines.

“I have been working at Kabale central market for 20 years but it is shocking that I was not allocated any working space yet I had all the requirements. Many people that had never operated at Kabale central market were allocated working spaces just because they bribed the authorities,” Mr Rwandare said.

Ms Pamela Ankunda another trader claims that although she was forced to pay Shs10,000 for registration, she never got a working space.

The chairman of lockup shop owners at Kabale central market Rev Katarishangwa requested for compensation from the government if it cannot honour its commitment of recognizing them as landlords whose operational leases of 49 years were still running.

Mr Byamugisha denied all the allegations levied against him and asked the constituted committee to engage the ICT team to use the footage in the CCTV cameras to establish whether he has ever engaged himself in market activities.

The market is composed of 494 lockup shops, 20 bulk stores, 345 stalls, 76 matooke pitches, 20 fish shops, 10-chicken cages, 12 kitchen cooking units, 30 toilets, 12 bathrooms, 10 urinals, CCTV cameras, and a police station among others. It has the capacity to accommodate 1,090 vendors.