Court clears way for Shs40bln Makhan Singh Market redevelopment in Mbarara
MBARARA, May 9, 2026 — A court ruling has cleared the way for the redevelopment of the Makhan Singh Market in Mbarara City, ending years of legal disputes and paving the way for a Shs 40 billion modern market project.
The Makhan Singh Market Landlords Association [MSMLA] on Thursday officially handed over the site to contractors, who have already begun fencing off the area ahead of construction works.
The seven-storey market is expected to replace the ageing and condemned structure with a modern facility featuring lockups, stalls, banking services, a police post and a day-care centre.
MSMLA Chairperson Thomas Mukundane said the project had been delayed since 2009 due to internal disputes and court battles between landlords and sections of vendors.
“We are happy to have won the court case. We need peace and unity so that we can develop our market,” Mukundane said during a general assembly of landlords.
He said traders had been asked to relocate to a temporary site with 144 kiosks, 60 stalls, hotels and sanitation facilities, where they are expected to operate for the next three years as construction progresses.
Mukundane said the association had secured an initial Shs 2.7 billion from Planbuild Technical Services to kick-start the works and was also seeking funding support from institutions including the African Development Bank and Afreximbank.
He added that landlords with lockups would contribute Shs7 million, while stall owners would pay Shs 3.5 million towards the project, with the money later credited against the final cost of units in the completed market.
The association also said President Yoweri Museveni had pledged support for the redevelopment project.
Despite the progress, divisions remain among vendors over the redevelopment plans.
A faction led by vendors’ chairperson Abas Rugundana has opposed the project, accusing the current leadership of sidelining original traders who have operated in the market since the 1980s.
Rugundana claimed many long-serving vendors could not afford the proposed costs attached to acquiring space in the new market and vowed that some traders would resist eviction from the site.
“We are the people who built this market over the years, but now we are being pushed aside,” he said.
Some vendors also accused the association leadership of failing to adequately consult traders on relocation arrangements and compensation for existing stalls.
However, city authorities backed the redevelopment, describing it as a major step towards improving trade and revenue collection in Mbarara City.
Mbarara City North Deputy Resident City Commissioner Jackline Kankunda warned against attempts to frustrate the project, saying development should be supported in the public interest.
Construction committee chairperson Benon Kazibwe Sayuni said the new market would increase capacity from about 300 traders to more than 3,000 jobs upon completion.
Full-scale construction is expected to begin within weeks following completion of site clearance works.
https://thecooperator.news/mbarara-market-landlords-urged-to-raise-funds-for-redevelopment/
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