Kabale Municipality gears up for central market upgrade

Dec 18, 2018

The Kabale municipal mayor, Emmanuel Byamugisha Sentaro said that all business shops and stalls will be shifted to other places in town for the period of about two years until construction is completed.

 

DEVELOPMENT

KABALE - Authorities and traders in Kabale municipality are warming up for the upgrade of the Kabale central market. The project which is scheduled to start early next year is being funded by the World Bank under the Markets and Agricultural Trade Improvements Programme (MATIP2).

On Monday, the Kabale municipal council approved the proposed market design by Kagga & partners, a consulting firm in Engineering and management.

Emmanuel Kabuye, an architect from Kagga &partners revealed that the proposed central market intends to focus on agricultural value addition through its structure.

"We shall have solar lighting equipment, water tanks for proper water harvesting, fire protection tools, and CCTV cameras, among other facilities," he said.

The Kabale municipal mayor, Emmanuel Byamugisha Sentaro said that all business shops and stalls will be shifted to other places in town for the period of about two years until construction is completed.

He said that once completed, the market will improve income of the people, boost tax revenues as Kabale municipality pushes for the city status.

 

"Jinja, Mbale, Masaka, Gulu and several other municipalities in the country have completed construction of such improved markets. We hope to get to a better position if this market is completed," said Byamugisha.

 

He, howeve,r condemned some people who are spreading negative propaganda against the project.

"We should separate personal interests from universal causes if our municipality is to develop. There is no reason as to why our people should fail to get the project achieved because someone is fighting it selfishly," he added.

 

Meanwhile, some  traders under the Kabale Central Market Traders Association Limited have filed a petition before the Kabale High Court seeking to block plans by Kabale municipality and its agents from conducting registration of all market vendor and traders of Kabale central until the main application challenging the process is determined.

Recently, Kabale municipality started registering vendors and traders in the market that is set to be demolished and replace with a new one.

The traders led by their chairperson, Simon Mashemererwa, through their lawyers of Twikirize & company advocates in their main application, claim the Kabale municipality kicked off the registration of traders without establishment of a joint team comprising of elected vendors representatives and the input and involvement of the vendors' association.

The traders also add that they were not shown the approved new market construction design or the relocation plan and place where central market vendors and traders will be moved.

The Kabale High Court registrar Didas Muhumuza has set December 21, 2018 to hear an application of order of interim injunction from the vendors and traders.

"We must be availed the architectural designs showing all shops and their sizes to be constructed. The allocations should be specific and clear," said Mashemererwa.

According to Mashemererwa, in 1999 when the current central market premises were constructed, confusion erupted in the allocation of shops until it was resolved by the Inspector General of Government and thus they need assurance that no any other extra charges will be levied on the shop owners at the end of the construction process.

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