Vendors operating from the Rwebikoona weekly Market in Mbarara city have clashed with the Mbarara city council over the designated market day of Wednesday.
The city council accuses the vendors of beginning their market activities on a Tuesday instead of Wednesday that was designated officially by the city council.
According to Aminah Naluyima, the Mbarara city council senior communication officer, they have received reports of vendors starting activities on Tuesday as early as 5pm instead of Wednesday which is against the council guidelines of the weekly market.
“All our vendors in the weekly markets must adhere to the designated days as for Kitunzi Market or the Rwebikoona as many know it, and should operate on Wednesdays only” Naluyima said.
Naluyima adds that this not only applies to Rwebikoona market but all the others that include Kijungu weekly market that operates on Saturday, Katete market that operates on Fridays and Kakoba Market that operates on Tuesdays.
“This issue applies to all weekly markets and we want all our vendors to know that because the concerned citizens that are being inconvenienced around the areas of operations have raised an alarm, for instance there are schools, a hospital and the traffic itself,” Naluyima added.
Speaking to Nile Post, some vendors who carried placards said that the notice they have received suggests the offloading of items at the market area starts at 11pm on Tuesday and not 3pm as it has been, something they say they are against.
“I deal in cabbage selling and I get the items from very far from Mbarara and if I start working at 11am what will I sell? I therefore advise the council to let operations start on Tuesday at 3pm,” Winnies Kembabazi, one of the vendors said.
Rosette Katushabe, a tomato vendor at the same market said, “I get tomatoes from, Kasese, sometimes Masaka and when council says I offload at 11pm on Tuesday, where do they expect me to get a vehicle to transport my items? I think some officials from the city council are just promoting corruption.”
Sylvia Nagawa, another vendor said, “every time we offload items on Tuesday, the city council confiscates them and recovering them requires Shs500000 to Shs800000. This is total corruption.”
Currently, Mbarara city council has plans to shift all weekly markets to a different area with an aim to decongest the city on the particular days designated for the weekly markets which the council says has often caused disruptions in traffic flow, crime among other challenges..