Hoima city street vendors demand for market and sanitary facilities
HOIMA– Street vendors operating on pavements of Buhaga road roundabout in Hoima West division, Hoima city have decried the lack of a market structure and sanitary facilities in the city.
Over 200 vendors were recently evicted from the market where they were operating by businessman, Francis Kabambe. He is demanding rental arrears from Hoima City Council.
After they were evicted, Hoima city authorities advised vendors to operate on the streets as they look for another place to relocate them.
However, the vendors are concerned that they have no latrines to ease themselves as the landlords in Hoima city do not allow them to use their sanitary facilities.
One of the vendors, Tusigwire said that the situation in the streets is unbearable, adding that women with children use polythene bags to keep feces as there are no sanitary facilities to deposit the children’s excreta.
Tusigwire appealed to Hoima city authorities to construct a public sanitary facility to save the vendors from the suffering they are going through.
Grace Mboneko, another vendor , but also a tenant in one of the houses in the city, said landlords closed their latrines, fearing the places of convenience could get filled up very fast.
She noted that some people are practicing open defecation, adding that the city is at risk of having disease outbreaks such as cholera, dysentery, and other diseases caused by poor sanitation.
The Hoima West division mayor, Robert Ruhigwa admitted the problem, saying that the lack of public latrines in the area is affecting sanitation.
He however said that the division is engaging the management of Bunyoro Grower’s Cooperative Union to offer space on their land so that a public latrine is constructed.
Achilles Kiiza, the secretary for health and education in the city said they have plans to establish public latrines at different points in the city.
He further noted that several houses in the central business area have no latrines as many are filled up, He said they are engaging the landlords to build improved latrines that can easily be emptied.
He added that recently the city launched a campaign to sensitise residents and others on the importance of keeping the city clean.
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