By James Bakama

THE proprietors of the Allied Bus Owners Company, who are constructing a terminal in Nakivubo Stadium, have denied involvement in the fire.

The 20-year-old market is on Nakivubo Stadium land and adjacent to the terminal.

Vendors, who lost millions of shillings when their merchandise was destroyed by yesterday’s fire, had linked the inferno to the bus company.

The new development had been resisted by the vendors, who accused the developers of encroaching on their territory.

The bus park’s entry and exit from Ben Kiwanuka Street via the market have been a source of controversy between the two parties.

But the transporters’ interim chairman, Nathan Byanyima, yesterday dismissed the accusations as unfounded.

The Bukanga county MP said as businessmen, they were sympathetic.

“Our sympathy goes to them for losing their hard earned money. They have our prayers. We also hope that the Police get to the bottom of this matter.”

Byanyima said the vendors were their business partners. “That is why I have personally had several meetings with them to see how our buses would get into the parking without inconveniencing them,” he said.

Meanwhile, the vendors yesterday vented their anger on the terminal.
They broke into the stadium, vandalising the iron-sheet enclosure, which was surrounding the would-be terminal.

“Tetujja kubakkiriza tunyooma (we wont let anyone despise us),” said one of the vendor as he made off with some of the iron sheets. The Police had to fire tear gas to cool the situation.

Nakivubo Board of Trustees confirmed that one of the stadium gates was broken, iron sheets vandalised and sodas in one of the stadium kiosks stolen by the mob.

The fire broke just three days before the stadium was supposed to receive sh3.3m in rent from the market.

Stadium sources said the trustees resumed receiving rent in December after four years without any payment.

Allied Pack Yard Joint Venture, who holds the market’s fee collection tender, only used to remit collections to city authorities.

It took a letter from the acting town clerk, Ruth Kijjambu and a court order for the stadium to resume receiving rent.

The stadium now gets 30% of the collections, while Kampala Central Division gets the rest.

On Monday, state minister for sports Charles Bakkabulindi ordered the bus company to stop the construction of the terminal. This followed immense public pressure against the project.