Elegu Market: Land owners demand relocation of vendors

ELEGU– The owners of pieces of land on which hundreds of vendors at the Elegu border market have been operating are demanding that the vendors should go off their land to pave way for development.

The land measuring 1 square kilometer was given and occupied by vendors since 2008 with legal documents signed in 2013. The land located in Lorikor West in Elegu Town Council was given by family members of the Oyapele, who had given the 250 acres of land to Amuru district local government, Immigration offices, the Police and the Uganda Revenue Authority one-stop border offices.

Michael Angu, from the clan says, they have been pleading with the district authorities to have the vendors relocated to the district land to pave way for development of their land but in vain.

Angu says, in their agreement with the district in 2013, the vendors would be relocated if they [land owners] want to develop their land, which is not now being followed.

Angu notes that after the latest fire incident, they agreed with the district that no vendors should be allowed to return to the burnt market, but to their dismay as a family and clan, some vendors have continued to operate in the burnt market neglecting their demand and that of the district.

“We have not been benefiting from this market being on our land. Now that the district has established a temporary market, we want the vendors to relocate, to give us an opportunity to now develop our land,” Angu notes.

According to Angu, a section of security officials have turned the relocation process to a money-making opportunity, confusing vendors, which is why some vendors have shifted and others haven’t relocated.

“We have been receiving some security personnel from Amuru district, who come here to organize meetings with the vendors, collect money promising them that they will not be relocated. This has totally frustrated our demands to the district,” Angu observed.

Samuel Ogwal, Chairperson cross border trader’s association affirms the allegations of security personnel meddling and confusing the whole relocation process because of their selfish interests.

“some the security officials have come here, asking our members to contribute money, and promised that our members will not be relocated to the new site. But now when some of us who have seen the benefit of relocating begin to tell our members not to contribute, the security officials order for our arrests,” Ogwal said, during the district security meeting at the URA One-stop border post board room.

The district security meeting among others resolved that the vendors who have refused to relocate will be forcefully evicted and relocated to the new site, upon meeting and sensitization of market stakeholders, banning further establishment of market stalls on this particular market and any other space within Elegu town council.

Some of the resolutions made include, vendors relocating to the two markets spaces while larger space awaits development by Trade Mark East Africa and the Danish Embassy. Allocation of plots will only be conducted by the allocation and physical planning committee and any person who seeks land must get clearance from the original land owner since there are very many squatters claiming ownership of the land in Elegu Town Council.

Michael Lakony, the Amuru district LCV Chairperson says, this time the relocation of people who have refused to heed to the district resolutions will be enforced by the police.

He further says, the relocation is in line with the physical plan the district has for the development of Elegu border town and not selfish political interest.

“Our people, who mostly are victims of the 2013 evacuation from South Sudan after being chased and settled here in Elegu, think we want to frustrate their business. What we want is to organize the town. Currently, when you enter Elegu town, you find kiosks erected on trenches, road reserves which has left the town very disorganized,” Lakony says.

“We have had challenges of opening roads, developing this area but people seem adamant, we can`t continue working like this especially when the land owners want their land,” Lakony adds.

Damali Nachuha, the Aswa Regional Police Commander, who attended the meeting says, investigations will be conducted on the security officers who are being accused of meddling into the relocation process.

“The problem I have observed here in Elegu is that there are some people who call Kampala and give wrong information about the relocation process. Some even say there are people with guns and are planning to attack Elegu, but the fact is that even if you call Kampala, they will still get back to us on the ground to verify your claims,” Nachuha said.

Elegu border market has been at the center of disasters including floods and fire outbreaks in the recent past. The latest fire incident in February saw at least 1,000 structures comprising 700 stalls and 300 temporary structures were burnt down causing losses worth billions. The market is just meters away from neighboring South Sudan, its biggest customer base.

https://thecooperator.news/elegu-vendors-reluctant-to-relocate-to-a-new-market-space/

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