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Mukono, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Business grounded to a halt at Kame Valley Market in Mukono municipality following a dispute between the management and weekly vendors.
The vendors who operate on Tuesday set up stands and tables to display their commodities at Kame valley market and the section of the road from Wantoni trading center to Mukono town.
However, on Tuesday, Kame Valley Market management committee informed the vendors that they had received orders from Mukono municipal authorities to stop traders displaying goods in the middle of the road.
The Market Chairperson, Robert Kigozi, said the decision of the traders to display merchandise in the middle of the road interferes with traffic flow along Kampala-Jinja highway.
“We are not fighting mobile traders but they have failed to respect working guidelines that are in line with municipal orders,” Kigozi said.
However, the vendors couldn’t have any of this and went ahead to display their merchandise on the road. The traders lost their cool when the chairperson called for a meeting with all traders who had started selling their merchandise around 12pm. Many of them started packing their goods for fear of chaos.
The traders exchanged bitter words as they called for the intervention of Mukono Town Clerk, Richard Monday and Mayor, George Fred Kagimu to provide them alternative space to operate from. However, the two officials didn’t turn up.
The Mukono Municipality Member of parliament, Betty Nambooze turned up around 4pm to mediate the dispute. She advised the market management committee to stop operating on the orders of the municipality authorities until they gazette a new place for the vendors.
Allan Mawanda, a trader advises the municipality to consider developing alternative routes instead of focusing on one road that has just been constructed.
The Mukono Mayor, George Fred Kagimu says Kame valley market is among the issues that the council is struggling with. He however, says they haven’t reached a decision to evict the traders until they find a lasting solution to the problem.
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