Nabbanja orders for fresh redistribution of lockups, stalls in Wandegeya Market

The Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has ordered for fresh redistribution of lockups and stalls in Wandegeya Market.

She made the directive during a tour of the market on Friday.

The tour followed a meeting between Kampala City leadership and the president at State House where Museveni advised that markets in Kampala and the metropolitan areas should be owned and managed by the low-income earners instead of being taken by the rich who in turn charge high fees from the wananchi.

"There are people who are calling themselves landlords and are extorting people through exorbitant fees. This is a government market and no one is supposed to be the landlord," Nabbanja said, quoting from the president’s directive.

For over nine years Wandegeya market has been having management problems which has left vendors cheated and mistreated by unlawful landlords.

Nabbanja arrived at Wandegeya market at 10:45am and toured the entire market from the North to the South Wing, meeting and interacting with vendors.

Throughout the tour, Nabbanja listened intently to the trader’s grievances, which included being levied exorbitant dues, lack of fairness in the lockup distribution and general cleanliness of the market.

"From today, those of you who have been paying landlords within the market for your spaces, those spaces are now yours. Please apply for them through the formal process," Nabbanja told an excited crowd of vendors after the tour.

"You should also not be charged more than what is stipulated in the law and the MoUs you have signed," she added.

She asked the vendors to pay a little money for utilities, garbage collection and maintenance of the market.

She promised to continue monitoring the implementation of these directives to the end and also vowed to extend this crusade to other city markets faced with similar challenges.