Africa-Press – Uganda. In March 2021, vendors were relocated to the newly built Tororo Central Market.
But nearly one year later, several stalls in the facility are empty as the streets in Tororo Town remain dotted with kiosks.
The market was constructed under the Markets and Agricultural Trade Improvement Programme (MATIP) with support from the African Development Bank at Shs28 billion.
The market, according to the master, Mr Ronald Okaka, was designed to accommodate 1,769 vendors.
But Daily Monitor has learnt that several unoccupied stalls are now being used to answer nature’s call despite the existence of public toilets at the facility.
Ms Agnes Akello, a vendor in the market, claims intruders normally sneak into the market in the evening and hide inside some of the unoccupied stalls especially on the ground floor.
“The market is almost abandoned, especially on ground floor where most of the stalls are unoccupied,” she said.
On Tuesday, this newspaper found human waste in most of the unoccupied stalls, especially in the fish section, while other stalls have been turned into urinary shelters.
Mr Stephen Olebe, a dealer in silver fish (mukene) at the market, is worried of contracting diseases since some of the restaurants at the facility operate near the empty stalls.
“This place where these people defecate smells bad and yet it’s just near the restaurants where we normally get our food. The council authorities need to address this situation,” Mr Olebe said.
He said they raised the concern with the authorities but no action has been taken, adding that in case of disease outbreak, they will not hesitate to take legal action.
Mr Eric Okoth, the head of sanitation and hygiene in the market, blamed the mess on the failure by Tororo municipal council authorities to woo vendors back to the facility.
He said most of the 117 vendors who signed tenancy agreements and were allocated stalls on the ground floor have not occupied their stalls.
“The vendors shouldn’t have been allowed to operate from the streets in the first place,” he said.
Ms Victoria Nyapendi, a vendor who once owned space in the old market, said “even the stalls in the new market that they are talking of, are poorly designed.”
Ms Margaret Sisiya, the head of the fresh foods section, said the street vendors are taking away the market of those operating in the market.
“It’s our prayer that all vendors are shifted into the market,” she said.
The municipality town clerk, Mr David Kyasanku, said they they have embarked on sensitising vendors on the importance of occupying stalls and lockups in the market.
Mr Kennedy Orono Nyapidi, the town mayor, said they have issued vacation notices to all those operating on the streets to shift to the market.
“They have been given notices to shift, but the unfortunate bit is that they come to the streets past working hours when our enforcement teams have gone to their homes,” he said.
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