Vendors in Kabale Municipality relocated to the newly constructed market

By  David Nshemereirwe

The Ministry of Local Government and Kabale Municipality have started the relocation of vendors to the newly constructed Kabale Central Market.

The Shs23 billion facility was constructed under the World Bank-funded Markets and Agricultural Trade Improvement Program (MATIP III) that started in 2019.

For the last three years, the vendors have been operating from the temporary Kabale Police barracks market which is located at Mwanjari business centre.

The vendors were shifted to Mwanjari to pave way for the construction of the market. The market, upon completion, was commissioned last month.

Today, officials from the Ministry of Local Government helped by Kabale district officials kick started the process of relocating the traders.

By the time of the relocation exercise, the police and the UPDF were in charge of the market to provide security and oversee the process.

According to the Kabale Municipality Mayor Emmanuel Byamugisha Sentaro, a total of 1022 traders are targeted to occupy the new market.

The vendors will be tenants of Kabale Municipality. Each will pay a monthly rental fee of Shs150, 000 on the first floor and Shs1 00, 000 on the second floor.

Byamugisha noted that each trader will be given a two-month grace period without paying rent to the council. This, he said, will help the traders to settle in the new market.

He added that they are reallocating vendors following the guidelines from the Ministry of Local Government. All stalls and lockups will be allocated to eligible vendors.

Byamugisha explained a raffle draw will be conducted as a way of determining which vendor takes which stall and lockup.

By press time, mid-day Tuesday, 11th January 2023, the exercise was underway; the first batch of vendors was waiting to pick raffles as the exercise is expected to be completed on Friday.