Thieves terrorise Busia traders
Busia main market which has recently been hit by a spate of thefts, leaving traders counting losses. PHOTO/DAVID AWORI
What you need to know:
- Mr Grace Kanuna, the Busia deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC), confirmed the thefts, saying apart from stealing from traders, the thieves had broken into the market control room of CCTV cameras and made off with solar batteries and inverters
Efforts by traders in Busia main market to earn a living are being foiled by rampant cases of theft.
Sections in the market, including fresh foods, general merchandise, fish and chicken, have recorded cases of theft over the past week, according to the security in-charge at the facility, Mr Swaibu Mugambi.
“It’s common to hear traders in this market complaining of thefts. Over the past three weeks, we have recorded several cases of theft,” he said on Saturday.
Ms Kevinah Namwabi, a food vendor says all her stock was stolen two weeks ago, leaving her without any capital.
“I am a poor woman but all I had stocked was stolen in a single night, leaving me with nothing,” she said.
Ms Zainabu Babiwemba, who sells onions and tomatoes in the fresh foods section, says she lost all her merchandise valued at Shs500,000.
The traders are wondering who is behind the spate of thefts when the market is manned by Police and local security guards.
Mr Kusini Nkuutu, who operates in the chicken section, says whereas each trader contributes Shs2,000 towards security, the thefts continue to increase.
“Each day at about 6pm, a bell rings, all traders are ordered out and the entrances are closed by police, but when we come in the morning, we find our goods missing and wonder why we pay them to guard our goods,” he said.
Mr Grace Kanuna, the Busia deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC), confirmed the thefts, saying apart from stealing from traders, the thieves had broken into the market control room of CCTV cameras and made off with solar batteries and inverters.
“We indeed recorded several cases of thefts in this market and I am following it up with the police to establish how far they have reached with investigations,” Mr Kanuna said, blaming the thefts on poor lighting in the market.
“This market has electricity but the challenge is that most traders don’t want to contribute towards paying electricity bills and that is why the market is poorly lit,” he explained.
About Busia Main Market
Busia main market was commissioned by President Museveni in 2020 under the Municipal Agriculture and Trade Improvement Programme (MATIP), at a cost of Shs24.5b with support from the African Development Bank.
