NEBBI, November 6, 2024 – Four years after the project was first announced, Nebbi Market vendors will have to wait even longer for the construction of the Shs 32 billion Nebbi Modern Market to commence.
The Vendors say the design presented to them by Nebbi Municipal Council officials indicated that construction should have begun as far back as 2021. However, with the influx of traders from neighboring districts such as Arua, Madi-Okollo, Zombo, Buliisa, Pakwach, and even from DR Congo, the current market space has become overcrowded, forcing some vendors to display their goods on the unhygienic ground.
Beatrice Kitu, a vendor dealing in silverfish, expressed frustration, noting that the Nebbi Municipal Council had suggested temporary relocation to the taxi and bus terminals to clear space for the new market’s construction. Yet, as of now, no visible progress has been made.
“We have not received any updates on the status of the new market, which has been delayed for years,” Kitu said. “Meanwhile, the existing market is far too small and overcrowded to accommodate all the traders.”
Nebbi Municipality is one of 18 municipalities nationwide selected to benefit from the second phase of the African Development Bank’s sponsored Market Agricultural Trade Improvement Project [MATIP-2], under which modern markets are set to be constructed.
Jatex Opio, Chairman of the Nebbi Market Vendors’ Association, said the market receives between 40 to 50 new traders daily, yet the current facility, which accommodates around 7,000 vendors, is unable to keep up with the growing demand.
“The daily influx of new traders is overwhelming. This requires urgent action from the government to address the market’s capacity challenges,” Opio said.
Nebbi Municipality Mayor Geoffrey Ngiriker, however, reassured the vendors, stating that all processes for the construction of the new market have been finalised and work will begin soon. “Once completed, the new market will serve up to 10,000 vendors and significantly boost local tax revenue,” Ngiriker said.
The mayor added that the new market is expected to widen the municipality’s revenue base. Currently, the local government generates between Shs 500 million and Shs 700mln annually. With the new market, however, they are targeting a revenue increase of over Shs 1bln.
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