MBARARA CITY, May 2, 2025 – Vendors at Mbarara Central Market on Tuesday morning staged a peaceful gathering at the City Hall, seeking clarification on several administrative inconsistencies affecting the market’s operations.
Ronald Mutambuza, Head of the fruits department, outlined a number of concerns including leadership disputes, poor sanitation, and alleged corruption within the market’s administration. He accused city authorities of failing to implement key provisions of the Market Act, 2023.
“Section 19 [3] subsection [1] of the Act stipulates that vendors in each designated department should elect a head and deputy head of department, one of whom must be a woman,” Mutambuza said. “To date, this hasn’t been implemented, and we continue to operate under an illegitimate leadership structure. If you go to Masaka Market and others, leadership changes have been made in accordance with the Act.”
Mutambuza further petitioned for a reduction in rental fees for lockups from Shs 200,000 to Shs 40,000 per month, and market levies from Shs 40,000 to Shs 10,000.
“The rent we are being charged is unreasonably high. There was no assessment conducted and vendors were not consulted. We propose that lockup rental fees be set at Shs 40,000 and pitch fees reduced to Shs 10,000,” he added.
He also drew attention to the issue of 15 fresh fish vendors who have reportedly not paid rent since July 2021 due to the absence of a formal tenancy agreement.
“Most vendors have signed memoranda of understanding with the city council, but the fish vendors have none because they’ve failed to reach an agreement on rent. This leaves their future in the market uncertain and must be resolved,” he said.
Emmanuel Muhumuza, Chairman of Mbarara Central Market, raised concerns about the facility’s poor sanitation.
“We sometimes lack water supply in the latrines, which puts women vendors at high risk of infections. The frequency of garbage collection is also inadequate, yet we mainly deal in foodstuffs. This is a serious public health concern,” Muhumuza noted.
Responding to the concerns, Mbarara City Town Clerk Justine Barekye urged the council to implement the provisions of the Market Act, 2023.
“Section 24 [1] of the Act states that a local authority, in consultation with the responsible Minister, shall determine the fees to be levied in markets. We will revisit this issue in council to determine whether adjustments to the current rent are justified,” Barekye explained.
Mbarara City Mayor Robert Kakyebezi praised the vendors for maintaining one of the cleanest and most organised markets among all newly constructed markets in Uganda.
“The government commends us for our market’s cleanliness and order, especially when compared to places like Kabale, Soroti, Fort Portal, and Mpondwe. Let’s avoid unnecessary disruption over issues like rubbish that can be resolved without causing alarm,” Kakyebezi said.
He also called on the Ministry of Local Government and other stakeholders to issue regulations to operationalise the Market Act, 2023, saying this will settle the vendors’ grievances.
“The Act was gazetted, but its implementation regulations are still lacking. We need amendments to some clauses, for example, leadership. You can’t appoint a market master who’s not a vendor to manage vendor issues. Leadership must come from within,” the mayor added.
Elly Tugaine, City Security Officer, echoed the call for the full operationalisation of the Markets Act to ensure more effective management.
Background
Mbarara Central Market comprises various facilities, including 552 lockups, 256 stalls, 167 pitches, a food court, restaurant, day care centre, CCTV surveillance, firefighting systems, and modern toilet and shower facilities. The market was constructed at a cost of Shs 21 billion under the Markets and Agricultural Trade Improvement Project [MATIP].
https://thecooperator.news/mbarara-market-vendors-decry-new-markets-law/
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