Relocation of vendors into Tororo central market underway

Tororo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Vendors in Tororo municipality have started occupying the Tororo central market, five months after it was commissioned by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

Tororo central market is one of the 12 markets that have been constructed under the Markets and Agricultural Trade Improvement Programme (MATIP-2), at a cost of 27.7 billion. The market sits on 5 acres of land.

The new Tororo market will accommodate over 1,700 vendors and has a number of facilities which include market stalls, lockups/shops, pitches, day care centers, food courts, clinic/pharmacy facilities and a conference hall.

On Friday, Ministry of Local Government and Tororo municipality officials commenced the relocation process of vendors into the market.

Lydia Karungi, a senior community development officer at Ministry of Local government in of charge relocation said the exercise will be in phases starting with fresh foods dealers to second hand clothes sector and then others.

Tororo Municipality Mayor John Opio warned the leaders against taking bribes from vendors, noting that they will be apprehended.

Paul Omoko, the town clerk asked the vendors to cooperate with the relocation team so that the exercise goes on quickly and smoothly.

Hadijah Kayaga, a vendor at Tororo market who is now occupying stall number 1,178 complained of the small size of the stalls, despite of their readiness to occupy the new market.

Margret Sisiya, the Head of Fresh Foods was so disappointed with the way the stalls are being allocated saying she had 3 stalls before the construction of the new market but now she has only been given one stall which will not be enough to accommodate her goods.

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