Lira market leaks, say vendors

LIRA MARKET 

Since it was commissioned about five years ago, Lira Main Market has not generated the expected revenue.

The Ministry of Local Government estimated that the market would employ 3,500 people directly and 5,000 indirectly, serve 80,000 people and generate sh1.2b annually for Lira Municipal Council.

It was hoped that the monthly revenue collections would increase from sh13.9m to sh97.3m.

Shortly after the market was commissioned in 2015, vendors refused to pay money, claiming that the municipal council had failed to ensure the market is organised.

"The market is dirty, disorganised and has no running water and electricity," a vendor said.

From the onset, vendors complained that commodities were mixed up instead of being allocated particular sections.

Lira Main Market was constructed at a cost of sh28b from the African Development Bank under phase 1 of the Markets and Agricultural Trade Improvement Programme (MATIP -1). 

In it are 1,874 stalls and 500 lockups. The market was commissioned by President Yoweri Museveni on February 19, 2015.

In October 2015, power supply to the market was disconnected due to an accumulated bill of sh29m. The water was cut off as well. Currently, the unpaid water bill is sh24m.

The then deputy town clerk, Emmanuel Oyuku Ocen, was quoted as saying that the council had projected to collect sh27m per month and at least sh140m by end of financial year (2016).

That time, he said in the first quarter, they did not get a single coin after the vendors refused to pay the levies.

Challenges facing the vendors

Simon Peter Okullo, a butcher in the market, said the market is not benefiting the people it was meant to.

He said some businessmen and leaders of the market have more than three lock-ups and stalls and are renting them out expensively to the vendors in them.

He said some municipal staff also got lock-ups and stalls in the names of their relatives and have sold them to other people who are now renting them out to vendors.

Okullo said some stalls and lockups are hidden and not easy to access by customers.

"Without electricity, the place becomes dark by 4:00pm and this has forced many vendors to carry out their business at the roadside," he said.

The municipal council charges sh30,000-sh70,000 for lock-ups, depending on size while stalls are sh7,000.

The rich people rent out the lock ups at between sh70,000 and sh400,000.

The first election of leaders took place in 2016 where Basil Edwoko, 53, a butcher, was elected the chairperson.

Last year, fresh elections were held, but Edwoko went to court and stopped the new team from taking up their positions, saying procedures were not followed.

Vendors said some city authorities do not want Edwoko to leave office after the expiry of his two-year term because they work with him for selfish gain. 

Okullo said Edwoko is using his private firm to collect revenue from the market yet it is supposed to be a vendors' association.

When contacted on the issues raised Edwoko declined to speak, saying he was busy.

Fred Obong, a vendor, said he uses his lock-up as a store because it is hidden and difficult to access.

Obong said the power blackout has worsened matters for him.  Rebecca Atim, a vendor, said she is forced to sell her merchandise from outside the market due to the darkness and lack of easy access to her stall.

"I only use the lockers to store my merchandise," she said.

Waste management

Vendors say the daily market due of sh400 should have been used to hire people to clean and collect garbage from the market.

Richard Okello, the principal commercial officer of Lira, said the design of the market is not favourable for the vendors given that some lockups and stalls are hidden and difficult to access.

On electricity, Okello said the meter is centralised and the bill goes to LiraCity Council yet the meters should have been installed according to different sections of the market.

Okello said when the new market was constructed, 246 lock-ups were given to the private developers who are not paying revenue to the council.

On the leadership wrangles, Okello said the leadership of the market was registered under a company limited by guarantee with Basil Edwoko as the chairperson yet government policy said it should be a co-operative.

He said it changed into a cooperative in 2019 with Basil Edwoko as the chairperson and his term expires in January 2021.

Traders in markets speak out

Richard Sekyondo, Kitooro

The new Entebbe market will improve the working conditions of the people as well as boost the quality of our commodities and revenue collection.

Rachael Mirembe, Kitooro

We have neither received any communication nor update regarding the criteria for occupying the market stalls or taxi park units. We shall only vacate our kiosks when we are shown alternative places from where to conduct our businesses.

John Tabula, Jinja

I was forced to pay sh500,000 for a market stall. Unfortunately, Jinja city council has allowed street vendors to thrive outside the market thereby reducing our clientele.

Phiona Namulondo, Jinja

The city council has failed to effectively dispose of the trash which often scares away customers