Mbale market vendors reject new administrator over antagonism, integrity concerns

Tensions have escalated at Mbale Central Market following the appointment of Abudala Hasango Boola as the new market administrator.

Boola, appointed by Mbale City Deputy Town Clerk Cassim Waboga, has faced intense resistance from vendors who accuse him of authoritarian leadership and a history of corruption.

Boola's appointment has been met with scepticism due to his past roles and associations. Previously, he served as a councillor for Mbale District, a Town Agent in Nakaloke Town Council, and a Labour Officer in the Industrial Division.

His close ties with Winnie Nambuba, the tourism officer for Mbale City and a former market master, accused of diverting market revenue, have further raised concerns among vendors.

Despite clarifications that Nambuba is not Boola’s spouse, vendor suspicions persist.

Vendors have accused city authorities of imposing Boola to enable corruption.

"The council authorities are imposing him on us because they want someone who can act as a conduit to siphon market revenue," said vendor Umar Magombe.

He and others believe that Boola’s appointment mirrors past issues with administrators involved in corrupt practices.

The situation worsened when Boola arrived at the market with anti-riot police and issued a series of directives, including increasing rental fees, abolishing the market executive, and requiring all revenue to be handed directly to him instead of through established electronic systems.

Vendors view these actions as an attempt to reintroduce corrupt practices.

“The new market master wants us to pay cash directly to him rather than to the bank, as the current system requires. We have had several market masters who collected our money and disappeared,” said Innocent Diba, a vendor.

Doubts over Boola’s qualifications have further fueled vendor discontent.

The role of market administrator typically demands expertise in finance or commerce, including accounting skills, which vendors argue Boola lacks.

They suspect his appointment is driven by ulterior motives to manipulate market revenue for personal gain, an allegation Boola denies.

The decision to appoint Boola by Deputy Town Clerk Cassim Waboga has come under scrutiny, particularly given Waboga’s controversial record, including a recent building demolition that sparked public outrage.

The appointment has ignited a broader debate on transparency and accountability in managing Mbale Central Market.

The unrest led to the intervention of Resident City Commissioner Asumin Nasike, who convened a crisis meeting recommending Boola’s removal.

Subsequently, Mbale City Council authorities replaced Boola with Godfrey Wambazu, a Tourism Officer with a background in commerce, to restore trust and integrity in the market’s administration.

With this change, vendors hope for more transparent management of market revenues and improved services, reflecting a broader national effort to combat corruption at all levels.

This development aligns with a national call to action against corruption.

Inspector General of Government (IGG) Betty Kamya has urged citizens to participate in fighting corruption, stressing that they are the ultimate victims and must hold public officials accountable.

Major Martha Asiimwe of the RDC's Secretariat Anti-Corruption Unit in the President's Office reinforced this call during her supervisory tour in the Bugisu sub-region, emphasising the need for grassroots involvement in rooting out corruption.