Vendors accuse Masaka City officials of corruption in market stall allocations

Vendors operating in Masaka Central Market and Nyendo Market have called on the Ministry of Local Government and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit to investigate Masaka City leaders over alleged corruption in the allocation of stalls and lockups in both markets.

Both Nyendo Market and Masaka Central Market were constructed to benefit low-income earners, and an allocation committee was duly established as per Section 21 of the Markets Act 2023. This committee was tasked with allocating spaces in the markets.

However, according to the office of the city clerk, the allocation process was allegedly marred by fraud.

“Any case of abuse of office by city agents, staff, and leaders in the city council will be thoroughly investigated,” said Majeran Luboyera, the city clerk in charge of Nyendo-Mukungwe Municipality, during an interview on March 12.

Luboyera revealed that Masaka City continues to face challenges in operating its markets, particularly in aligning them with the Markets Act.

Ms Base Nakayiza, chairperson of Masaka Central Market Vendors, explained that she had identified the rightful vendors who were supposed to take up the stalls. However, she accused city agents, who also serve as market administrators, of colluding with some city authority staff and political leaders to sell the stalls and lockups to wealthy businessmen at a cost ranging between Shs 2 million and Shs 3 million per stall.

"The poor vendors, who were supposed to benefit from the stalls and lockups in the markets, were evicted in favor of wealthy individuals," she said.

“We want the Minister for Local Government, Raphael Magyezi, and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit to come to Masaka and investigate these issues because many of us were denied a chance to benefit from the markets, which were constructed by the government for poor vendors,” Nakayiza added.

Nyendo Market was constructed in 2018 at a cost of Shs12 billion, while Masaka Central Market was completed in August 2023 at a cost of Shs 18 billion, funded by the African Development Bank under the Market and Agricultural Trade Improvement Programme (MATIP).

Nakayiza further added that vendors are being charged exorbitantly and that some vendors have resorted to sub-renting their lockups, a practice she believes needs further investigation.

“Vendors in Masaka Central Market are forced to pay Shs30,000 for a lockup or stall inside the market, which is the same fee paid by vendors in Nyendo Market,” she said.

Luboyera has urged the Ministry of Local Government to expedite the process of approving market fees for Masaka Central Market to enhance revenue collection for the city.

Luboyera also revealed that between July and December 2024, only Shs79.4 million was collected from the two markets. However, after assuming office on December 12, 2024, at least Shs44.7 million had been collected by February 24, 2025. “We remain committed to working with all stakeholders to eliminate bad elements from our markets,” he said.

According to Section 21(11) of the Markets Act 2023, a person who is in public service within a local authority shall not be allocated a workspace, shop, pitch, or stall in a public market under the jurisdiction of that local authority. However, this provision does not apply to someone who was a vendor in the market before assuming a public service office within the same local authority.