Tororo Municipal Council has announced a review of rental rates at its Modern Central Market after days of protests by vendors who say the current charges are too high for their businesses to survive.
The vendors, who staged several demonstrations including one on Wednesday, demanded lower rental fees for lock-ups, stalls and pitches, and called for the cancellation of outstanding rental arrears.
Oon Thursday, Mayor Kennedy Orono Nyapidi told Monitor that the council has directed its finance and works committee to begin developing new pricing guidelines to be presented to the full council.
He said the review is intended to ease tensions between the vendors and market authorities, though the outcome may not necessarily favour the protesting traders.
He warned that the committee’s recommendations could lead to either a reduction or an increase in rates, depending on the findings.
The committee is expected to consult with other districts and conduct physical visits to their markets.
Orono cautioned vendors against assuming the process guarantees lower fees.
‘There is no need for vendors to think that all their demands are going to be favoured because committee is going to do thorough investigations including visiting some of the market to come up with guiding price,’ he said.
He added that while the review has begun, the council is also intensifying efforts to recover arrears from defaulters, many of whom are sector heads.
According to the mayor, the municipality may call in court bailiffs if necessary because the market was built using a loan that must be repaid.
Accumulated arrears, he said, have hampered the council’s ability to service utilities such as water and electricity, where it is also facing outstanding bills.
‘It should be noted that this market was constructed using a loan from African Development Bank and it has to be paid back so anyone who defaulted will not be exonerate from paying arrears,’ Orono warned.
He said the Market Act stipulates that 15% of local revenue generated should go toward utilities and garbage management – funds the council has not been receiving due to non-remittance by vendors.
Market master Peter Okaka said defaulting has worsened despite the introduction of the Market Vendors Management System, a platform designed to allow vendors to manage and pay rental fees at their convenience, including in instalments.
‘When the system was introduced, we thought this would now be convenient for vendors but instead the situation has worsened,’ he said.
Municipal records for the 2025/2026 financial year show the market is expected to generate more than Shs32 million monthly.