Vendors in Wakiso District who have for long complained of lack of workspace can breathe a sigh of relief after the government launched construction of two modern markets worth Shs37 billion.
Construction of the two market projects, Wakiso Central Daily Market and Kawuku Market, will be undertaken by Techno Three (U) Limited and Scaffold Construction Company at a cost of Shs20.3 billion and Shs16.7 billion respectively.
‘When it rains, we don’t work because customers fear the bad access routes within the market that turn muddy,’ Ms Rehema Nakamya, a food vendor in Wakiso Market, said on Saturday.
The market projects are being implemented under the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Urban Development Programme (GKMA-UDP), with funding from the World Bank.
Construction of both projects was launched by the State Minister for Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs, Mr Joseph Kabuye Kyofatogabye, with the help of his Undersecretary, Ms Monica Edemachu.
For many years, vendors at the two markets operated from temporary open stalls, regularly battered by rain and sometimes harsh sunshine.
For mothers, it has been worse. Ms Nakamya said they have been keeping their children under wooden lockers to prevent them from loitering in the markets.
Vegetable vendors are also affected by scorching sunshine, with their produce often spoiling before reaching the market, causing them huge losses.
They are now hopeful that the modern structures will boost sales and increase their profits.
According to the Wakiso District Engineer, Ms Lillian Namutebi, the modern market facilities will have stalls, lockups, freezer rooms, a day care centre, a skilling centre, restaurant facilities, sanitation facilities, parking areas, garbage management facilities, office space, and banking services.
She said Wakiso Central Daily Market, which has been accommodating 400 vendors, will now accommodate up to 800 vendors. Similarly, Kawuku Market will grow from about 370 vendors to over 700 vendors.
‘This means even those affected by ongoing trade order evictions will also get workspace,’ she said.
Mr Henry Magala, the general secretary of Wakiso Market Committee, said sections, especially slaughter areas, have been rotting, producing a malodorous stench.
The condition, he claims, would sometimes scare away clients, especially on rainy days. ‘We are now confident that a person will be able to walk into the market any time,’ he said.
Mr David Mugumya, the chairperson of Kawuku Market, also recounted a similar sorry state of the old market, noting that high-end individuals could not buy from them.
He said they now hope for a better client base since the market is located along the busy highway leading to Entebbe International Airport.
Addressing market vendors in Kawuku on Thursday, Mr Kyofatogabye said he had received reports of vendors dragging politics into the project, with some refusing to register because they subscribe to the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP).
He warned that vendors who refuse to register will be kicked out of the market, encouraging all those who wish to be in the new market to follow the right procedures.