Parliament wants Owino leadership disbanded

Jul 18, 2013

Parliament wants fresh elections to be held to constitute new leadership for St. Balikuddembe market commonly known as Owino market.

By Moses Mulondo & Mary Karugaba

KAMPALA - Parliament wants fresh elections to be held to constitute new leadership for St. Balikuddembe market commonly known as Owino market.

This decision is one of the recommendations contained in the report of the sessional committee on presidential affairs arising from a petition from a group of traders on the mismanagement of the market which was brought to parliament in November last year through the Wakiso woman MP Rosemary Sseninde.

The report was tabled in parliament on Tuesday byAdjumani woman MP Jesca Abiku and parliament on Wednesday approved the committee report.

The minister for economic monitoring Henry Banyenzaki, who is also the acting minister for Kampala, said government had accepted all the recommendations in the report.

In the report, parliament wants the authenticity of all vendors to be verified to ascertain if they were all vendors by displaying the register of all the vendors.

If the register is not up-to-date, the committee recommended that fresh registration of all individuals operating in the market be carried out within two months.

Unlike in the current situation where many vendors are left out, the committee wants the membership to St. Balikuddembe Market Stalls Space and Lock Up Shops Owners Association Ltd (SSLOA) to be opened to all the vendors in the market.

The committee discovered that whereas there are over 90,000 vendors, SSLOA has a membership of only 10,000 vendors.

After several years of disputes on the leadership of the market from various groups, the High Court ruled in 2001 that all vendors in the market were members of SSLOA.

The committee recommended that the market chairman, Geoffrey Kayongo, should be investigated with a view of establishing his role in beating vendors and bribing police and thereafter appropriate action against him be recommended.

Parliament also wants clear leadership structures to be established with democratic leaders elected by all vendors and ensure that there is proper communication between the leaders and vendors, transparency in the management and running of the market, involvement of vendors in decision making and proper accountability for the market funds.

Police is required to stop taking sides when handling wrangles in the market and carry out its mandate as stipulated by law.

The August House wants SSLOA to pay the ground rent of sh200m for the year 2012 which up to now has not been paid.

SSLOA was leased the market on conditions of paying a premium of sh4b and an annual ground rent of sh200m.

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