The fire, which broke out in Nakifuma–Naggalama Town Council, destroyed kiosks, refrigerators and goods including bananas, tomatoes, onions and other produce, leaving several traders struggling to recover.
The cause of the fire has not yet been established, although traders and residents said the blaze started at around 6:00pm.
Several affected vendors said they had lost their main sources of income and renewed calls for government to construct a modern market, saying the current facility is in poor condition.
“We have been asking the government to build us a modern market because the conditions here are very poor. Dust and dirt spoil our goods, and many customers choose to buy elsewhere,” one trader said.
Yudaya Nasali, a trader at the market, accused authorities of failing to improve sanitation despite collecting daily dues from vendors.
“We pay taxes every day, but our leaders have not addressed basic sanitation problems. We need proper garbage collection, modern toilets and a clean market environment. Many customers avoid this market because of the poor conditions,” Nasali said.
She added that flooding during rainy seasons continues to cause losses for traders.
“Whenever it rains, the market floods. Our produce is destroyed, and buyers cannot enter the market. We are forced to sell outside, and much of our produce becomes unsellable,” she said.
The Mayor of Nakifuma–Naggalama Town Council, Fred Mutebi, expressed sympathy to the affected traders and pledged to work with local authorities to improve conditions at the market.
“We shall work together with the town council to clean the market and ensure traders work in a safe and healthy environment. We shall also do everything possible to support those who have suffered losses,” Mutebi said.
During a visit to the affected traders, some victims received cash assistance and iron sheets to help them begin rebuilding.
Nakifuma Member of Parliament Kiwanuka pledged to lobby Parliament for the construction of a modern market.
“I will use my position in Parliament to advocate for the construction of a modern market for the people of Nakifuma. I will present this matter before Parliament so that the government can intervene,” Kiwanuka said.
The legislator also raised concerns over reports that some individuals could be planning to evict traders from the market to take control of the land.
“If it is true that there are people trying to remove traders so they can take over the land, I would not be surprised. Similar incidents have happened elsewhere where traders’ property was destroyed before the land was taken,” he said.
Government had previously planned to construct a modern public market in Nakifuma under the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Development Programme (GKMA-DP).
However, the project reportedly stalled after the land earmarked for the facility was allegedly sold, leaving the town without a site for the proposed market.