Vendors boycot Kabale market

Once a hive of business activity, Kabale Central Market is now mostly deserted as vendors have left the area in protest of unfair policies and inadequate booth distribution.

Many small-scale entrepreneurs rely on the market for their livelihood, but it has been beset by controversy, resulting in a large number of empty stalls.

Vendors claim that it is more difficult for them to run their businesses profitably as a result of the adoption of new rules and regulations.

Instead of improving market organisation, the laws have raised expenses and created bureaucratic obstacles, which has driven away numerous vendors.

Furthermore, the allocation of stalls has been criticized as unfair, with some vendors claiming favouritism and corruption.

The resulting disputes have led to a signature number of vendors abandoning their stalls, seeking alternative trading spaces.

Our Lukia Nantaba reporter visited the Market, where she found most of the stalls closed while some were open without vendors. The exodus of vendors has not only affected the markets vibrancy but also the local economy.

Vendors that include Independence Glorious,Justance Byomuhangi and John Rwabwesho say that during the allocation process, there was poor zooning of stalls as well as the laws that were issued by government.

They add that their businesses have greatly been affected ever since they vacated the market stressing that it has been hard for their customers to tress them.

They further predict that in the next two years to come if the market remains operating under such laws, it is at the verge of collapse.

“We were given bad stalls in the wrong location because of that out businesses have been greatly affected. We have had challenges of our customers allocating us and in return, we have encountered a lot of cases. “Vendors states.

“In the next two years to come, we are seeing that this market is likely to collapse because as vendors we were operating in tough laws and even those that we left there, are there because they still looking for where to go. We think that unless the laws are changed, the market might collapse. “Vendors add.

Sam Arinetwe noted that the market was given to wrong people adding that the original vendors few of them got the stalls stressing that some of the vendors paid money to get better stalls. He also says that if the issue is not taken serious, as leaders they are yet to see the worst.

Arinetwe further adds that they were at around 55 in terms of operation of the market hence finding it challenging in terms of collecting taxes.

“I was among the first people to petition the local government minister about the mismanagement of the vendors, when we appealed to the minister, he started very well but up to now I have never understood whether he completed the cleaning of the market or we are still in the process. The market was given to wrong people that is the original vendors, few got the market and some of them first paid money to get better and strategic places.” Arinetwe says.

“The last time I checked, we were at around 55% in terms of operation of the market so we can not get taxes when people are not working. We are looking at those who vacating from the market but what about those who are there and are struggling but they are still hanging there.it is something that is going to affect both vendors and also affect us as Kabale municipal council and us Kable central division as the responsible department. Arinetwe adds.

The Deputy town clerk Kabale Eric Sunday acknowledges that there are some vendors that have vacated the market adding that they have left the market attributing it to the vendors having bigger businesses that require bigger spaces as well poor zooning during the allocation process.

He adds that the stalls which are locked are facing some challenges adding that as leaders they are working on the challenges.

“There are vendors that have left the market and they are very few of them, they have left simply because they have businesses that are bigger than spaces given out in the market. Another issue that is leading to people leaving the market, is zooning for example when you find someone operating in the zone where they are not comfortable, then they tend to get another space to operate their businesses. “Sunday says.

Rapheal Magyezi the minister of local government condemned the manner in which zoning was done during the allocation process. He however says that whoever the is not comfortable with the laws governing the market, has the right to vacate.

In January 2023 vendors were relocated back to the newly constructed Kabale central market in the central division of Kabale municipality.

There are over three times for the minister of local government Rapheal Magyezi intervening into growing concerns surrounding the market but efforts to find solutions have all been in vain.