Mbarara market vendors petition authorities over rental fees

MBARARA– A section of Mbarara Central Market vendors have petitioned Mbarara city leadership, saying they cannot afford the monthly rental fees imposed on them by the authorities.

According to Priscah Murongo, the deputy mayor Mbarara city, some of the market vendors handed in their petitions, asking that authorities revise the rental fees downwards.

Morongo raised the matter during a council sitting held on Friday to forge a way forward about the rental fees that market vendors say are unfavourable to them.

“Madam Speaker before us, we have about five petitions and these come from the vendors in the fish section who have petitioned that they have failed to meet the rental fees. There is also a petition from those in the fruits section,” she said.

Then vendors occupying stalls are complaining that those operating from the first and second floors are paying Shs 30,000. All of them have petitioned and this requires serious attention,” Murongo explained.

Citing other constructed markets like in cities like Arua, Soroti, Fort Portal and Jinja, Murongo is worried that Mbarara Central Market could also become idle if the issue of rental fees is not addressed.

“This is our project. We don’t want it to die because we are running after the money. We all went to Fort Portal, people abandoned the market and some went back to their villages and the market is now lying idle,” said Murongo.

Ben Twahirwa, a councillor representing workers in Mbarara city confirmed that the market has not picked business, appealing to fellow leaders to assess the exact fees vendors can afford to pay rather than charging them highly.

“As I had earlier submitted, we should avoid top-bottom planning. We should consider a bottom-top approach on this matter. Let us constitute a committee to visit the market and make a rental charge policy based on a research report. Let’s make an amendment that really favours our people,” he said.

Sheebah Aunich Byentaro, a councillor representing Mbarara city North B said many of the market vendors could not afford the rental fees.

She added: “There is another issue that some of our staff demand bribes from vendors when their businesses are closed. I don’t know the people who are authorised to charge our vendors Shs 10,000 before allowing them to operate again.  We need to fight this vice.”

Moses Ariho, deputy resident city commissioner Mbarara, also advised the council to lower the rental charges so that vendors work.

“You can begin with low charges and then make some amendments when businesses grow. We are likely to have a conflict between the council and traders which is not good,” Ariho said.

Murongo added that lockups and stalls on the fourth floor are unoccupied as vendors see them as not suitable for business since a few shoppers climb up there.

“On floor four, all the lock-ups are still closed because vendors say there is no business there,” she said.

However, the councillors were happy that the executive committee headed by the city mayor Robert Kakyebezi added another free month for the vendors to operate without paying rent.

They also resolved that the town clerk appoints a technical team to verify the facts on ground as per the raised complaints.

Emmanuel Muhumuza, Chairperson Mbarara Central Market Association said he was happy that the council has heard the cries of the market vendors.

Kibanda Donozio, another vendor said many of their items were spoiled as the market was under construction, thus appealing to councillors to lower rental charges given that vendors also have to pay water and electricity bills.

Rodgers Betunga, an agro-input dealer also told theCooperator that he was waiting for the grace period to end so that he leaves, as he cannot afford the rental fees.

A total of 1079 vendors were allocated lock-ups and stalls in the new market where the city council expects to collect about Shs 52 million in rental fees per month.

https://thecooperator.news/mbarara-market-finally-occupied-after-govt-intervention/

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