The market extension, established two years ago on a road reserve to decongest the main market, has no piped water supply. Its only three-stance pit latrine is poorly maintained and closes at 6 p.m., even as trading continues late into the night.
As a result, traders say they are forced to buy water at Shs500 per jerrycan during periods of scarcity, while many resort to nearby corridors and dark spots to relieve themselves after the latrine is closed.
Health officials warn that the poor sanitation could trigger outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and dysentery, particularly during the rainy season.
Opio Jatex, the chairman of the Nebbi Market Vendors Association, said the association inherited the extension in its current condition after taking over management last month.
"We won the tender last month. The council handed us the place like this. There's a three-stance latrine, but the person who took the tender closes by 6 p.m. when the market is just starting," Jatex said.
He said closing the market was not an option because it was created to accommodate vendors displaced from the congested main market.
"We can't afford to close this market because the main idea of opening it was to decongest the main market. Some vendors have nowhere else to sell, and this extension is their only hope of making a living," he said.
Jatex acknowledged that the lack of sanitation and clean water poses a serious health risk but said the association was engaging municipal leaders to improve the situation, beginning with discussions to have the existing latrine remain open for longer hours.
The sanitation crisis is also affecting neighbouring residents.
Shepherd Oyirwoth, whose home borders the market, said traders frequently use his compound and nearby corridors as toilets during the night.
"We wake up to human waste every morning. If there is an outbreak of cholera, our children will be the first to get sick," Oyirwoth said.
He appealed to the municipal council to provide toilets and install security lighting to discourage people from using residential areas as alternatives.
Howard Musa, the Deputy Mayor and Leader of Council Business, acknowledged the sanitation challenges but said the council's options were limited because the market extension is located on a road reserve.
"The problem is that the place is in a road reserve, so we cannot construct a permanent facility there. We are also facing budget constraints," Musa said.
He said the municipality plans to mobilise funds in the second quarter of the financial year to provide temporary interventions, including water tanks and mobile toilets.
Uganda's Public Health Act and the Markets Act require markets to have adequate sanitation and access to clean water. Health inspectors classify markets operating without such facilities as statutory nuisances and have powers to order their closure where poor sanitation poses a risk of infectious disease outbreaks.
Health officials maintain that regardless of where a market is located, operating without safe water and sanitation contravenes public health standards and endangers both traders and surrounding communities.