Chinese firm to construct Kabale central market

Kabale, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  Chinese International Construction Company [CICCO] has won the contract to construct Kabale Central Market. 

The contract was signed on Tuesday by Ben Kamugisha, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government in Kampala.

According to the Memorandum of Understanding, construction of the market will cost 24.6 billion shillings and is expected to be completed in the next two years. 

The reconstruction of the market is under the Markets and Agricultural Trade Improvement program – MATIP III. 

Kamugisha declined to reveal the other firms that competed for the works.

Emmanuel Sentaro Byamugisha, Kabale Municipality Mayor says that the site will be handed over to the contractor in the next two weeks.

The award of the contract comes at a time when there are protests by a section of traders who are citing irregularities on how a memorandum of understanding between the traders and Kabale Municipality was marred by irregularities. 

Last month, Kabale High Court Judge, Justice Moses Kawumi Kazibwe extended an interim order restraining Kabale Municipal Council and its agents from evicting and demolishing the market until February 11, 2020, when the main application will be heard. 

This was after a section of, traders and lockup owners under Kabale Central Market Traders Association (KCTA) led by their Chairperson, Simon Mashemererwa in April petitioned court seeking an interim injunction halting the registration exercise by Kabale Municipal Council. 

The aggrieved traders argue that the registration was done without the involvement of their leadership, the availability of all necessary information regarding the exercise, the Memorandum of Understanding and market designs for scrutiny.

However, municipal authorities with support of traders in favour of the project defied the injunction and destroyed the market as they wait for the contractor to start works.

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