The Kabale central market traders on Wednesday elected their new leaders ahead of the reconstruction of a multi billion market. The construction works that will start in May this year will cost Shs24 billion.
The voting took place at Kabale municipal stadium and the new leaders were sworn in immediately by the Kabale grade one magistrate his Worship Kavuma Mugagga john.
Joshua Mutekanga and Ben Mayanja were voted as the chairperson and vice chairperson respectively. Other traders were elected to represent their colleagues according to the kind of businesses they run.
Traders will have to vacate the market place until the construction works are completed.
However, Simon Mashemererwa, the chairman of the Kabale central market traders association recently dragged the Kabale municipal council to court saying they didn’t prefer the relocation process and how the traders were being registered.
According to Mashemererwa, the traders fear to lose their lockups to strangers once the new market becomes operational.
This forced the mayor of Kabale municipal council Emanuel Sentaro Byamugisha to call for a general meeting for the central market traders with an aim of choosing new trusted leadership that would take part in overseeing the construction of the market.
Emma Byamugisha who owns a saloon in Kabale central market said he was relieved because they had one of their own traders on the council committee that would oversee the market construction.
Judith Ngambeki who sells fruits in the market said that they did not intend to halt the construction process but they wanted to get representation so that they don’t lose their lockups after the new market is complete.
Last week, high court in Kabale slapped an interim order barring the municipal council from evicting the traders from the market until the June 11, 2019. Prior, the council had directed all traders to vacate the area for construction by May 1, 2019.
Rev. Fr. Balthazar Ndyomugabe, the Parish Priest of Rushoroza parish who also happens to be the chairperson of the Kabale municipality development forum lauded traders for selecting leaders of their choice and promised them that a new market would make Kabale shine.
The said new market is a project under the Market Agricultural Trade Improvement Program II (MATIP II) with funding from African development bank (ADB).
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