News
Moruapesur Market traders take action on garbage crisis
The exercise was supported by Etop Radio in partnership with DW Akademie, which provided sanitation equipment worth sh800,000, including hoes, slashers, rakes, brooms, liquid soap and a jerrycan for handwashing.
Community members slash overgrown bushes around Moruapesur Market in Soroti City East Division during a sanitation drive. (Photo by Juliet Akello)
By: Elizabeth Akiror, Journalist @New Vision
________________
Traders and residents of Moruapesur Market in Soroti City East Division have taken the lead in tackling a growing garbage problem that has affected sanitation at the busy market.
The traders joined a community cleaning exercise to clear bushes and rubbish from the market surroundings in an effort to improve hygiene and waste management.
The exercise was supported by Etop Radio in partnership with DW Akademie, which provided sanitation equipment worth sh800,000, including hoes, slashers, rakes, brooms, liquid soap and a jerrycan for handwashing.
The garbage collection exercise was supported by Etop Radio in partnership with DW Akademie, which provided sanitation equipment worth sh800,000. (Photo by Juliet Akello)
The initiative brought together market vendors, local leaders and residents, who said keeping the market clean requires everyone who uses it to take responsibility for proper waste disposal.
Traders call for regular garbage collection
Market leaders welcomed the community initiative but said their efforts would have limited impact without regular garbage collection by Soroti city authorities.
David Okiror, the market chairperson, said delayed garbage collection remains one of the major sanitation challenges facing the market.
The leaders also raised concern about the lack of a functional toilet.
They said the market toilet is currently not operational because it has no water connection, leaving traders and customers with inadequate sanitation facilities.
Andrew Okello, LC1 secretary of Opege A cell, and LC2 chairperson Peter Odero joined the market leadership in thanking Etop Radio for the sanitation support.
Etop Radio community reporter Juliet Akello, who implemented the initiative after being selected for a DW Akademie training programme, said maintaining a clean market requires a joint effort.
“Keeping the market clean cannot be left to one group. Traders, customers and city authorities all have a role to play,” Akello said.
Daniel Lutaaya of DW Akademie said the engagement demonstrates how community journalism can go beyond reporting problems to support communities in identifying and responding to local challenges.
City pledges to address sanitation concerns
Justine Eumu, secretary for works in Soroti City East Division, acknowledged the garbage collection challenges and said the division would urgently meet to find ways of improving sanitation at Moruapesur Market.
Eumu said maintaining a clean market is a shared responsibility between residents and city authorities.
He also pledged to follow up on the non-functional toilet once the water supply challenge is addressed.
Soroti City East Division mayor Abdul Latif attributed delays in garbage collection to a shortage of trucks.
Andrew Okello, LC1 secretary of Opege A cell, and LC2 chairperson Peter Odero joined the market leadership in thanking Etop Radio for the sanitation support.
Etop Radio community reporter Juliet Akello, who implemented the initiative after being selected for a DW Akademie training programme, said maintaining a clean market requires a joint effort.
“Keeping the market clean cannot be left to one group. Traders, customers and city authorities all have a role to play,” Akello said.
Daniel Lutaaya of DW Akademie said the engagement demonstrates how community journalism can go beyond reporting problems to support communities in identifying and responding to local challenges.
City pledges to address sanitation concerns
Justine Eumu, secretary for works in Soroti City East Division, acknowledged the garbage collection challenges and said the division would urgently meet to find ways of improving sanitation at Moruapesur Market.
Eumu said maintaining a clean market is a shared responsibility between residents and city authorities.
He also pledged to follow up on the non-functional toilet once the water supply challenge is addressed.
Soroti City East Division mayor Abdul Latif attributed delays in garbage collection to a shortage of trucks.
Latif said the city currently has only two garbage trucks, a skip loader and a tipper, shared between the East and West divisions.
Soroti city town clerk Francis Mpewo cited another challenge: a shortage of workers following the withdrawal of Government funding for road gangs under the Uganda Road Fund.
Mpewo said the city is now using locally generated revenue to hire between 30 and 40 workers daily to support cleaning activities.
He said the city also plans to introduce a polluter-pays policy, under which people would contribute a modest fee towards the collection of the waste they generate.
Traders also raise security concerns
For Moruapesur traders, sanitation is not the only challenge affecting their businesses.
Rhema Agwang, a councillor representing Moruapesur and a market vendor, said insecurity is forcing some traders to close their businesses early.
Agwang said suspected thieves and robbers often target the market at around 8:00 pm, making some traders reluctant to operate into the evening.
The traders called for increased security at the market to enable them to conduct business safely for longer hours.
Community seeks lasting solution
The September 10, 2026, exercise has provided temporary relief from the garbage problem, but traders say sustained improvement will depend on regular waste collection, a functioning market toilet and stronger cooperation between the community and city authorities.
Soroti city town clerk Francis Mpewo cited another challenge: a shortage of workers following the withdrawal of Government funding for road gangs under the Uganda Road Fund.
Mpewo said the city is now using locally generated revenue to hire between 30 and 40 workers daily to support cleaning activities.
He said the city also plans to introduce a polluter-pays policy, under which people would contribute a modest fee towards the collection of the waste they generate.
Traders also raise security concerns
For Moruapesur traders, sanitation is not the only challenge affecting their businesses.
Rhema Agwang, a councillor representing Moruapesur and a market vendor, said insecurity is forcing some traders to close their businesses early.
Agwang said suspected thieves and robbers often target the market at around 8:00 pm, making some traders reluctant to operate into the evening.
The traders called for increased security at the market to enable them to conduct business safely for longer hours.
Community seeks lasting solution
The September 10, 2026, exercise has provided temporary relief from the garbage problem, but traders say sustained improvement will depend on regular waste collection, a functioning market toilet and stronger cooperation between the community and city authorities.