State of Ntungamo's matooke market worries traders

By Amos Tayebwa

Sharp divisions have emerged between Ntungamo Municipal Council officials and traders over revenue collected from Matooke daily market.

It is estimated Sh17 million is collected monthly but it has been bogged by accountability issues for the last five years.

Traders claim that they pay their money to the Council in expectation to have better working conditions and good sanitation provided by the Municipal Council, but the situation in the market is worse.

The market has remained in a very poor state with traders being forced to endure dirt and mud especially during this wet season. Poor garbage management within the market has threatened the health of the people operating in that place, according to a report authored by a concerned group of people under their Umbrella Make Ntungamo Great (MANG).

They now want the Mayor and his Technocrats including the Town Clerk, Chief Finance Officer to sort their house.

Established about 10 years ago, Matooke market is the major source of income for Ntungamo Municipality.

It has been also established that the tendering process of this market had a lot of irregularities. No one knows what the contractor of this market pays to the Municipal Council and on what terms and conditions.

**MANG Leaders speaking about the market state**

Bosco Rutubuka, a trader in the market said that unidentified people who took the tender of Matooke Market have become arrogant and dictators.

“We have a very poor leadership in our market and also at the municipal council, they collect money from us but we don’t know where this money goes and what it does. We don’t know whether the chairman of the market is at the same time the tenderer of the market. The operationalization of the market is not very clear,” said Ambrose Gumisiriza, another trader.

MANG has also threatened to petition the Speaker of Parliament Anita Anite Among against Ntungamo Municipal Council over Matooke market issues.

MANG is an independent Umbrella composed of young people, residents of Ntungamo Municipality with passion in building and maintaining prosperity in Town and through the District. Their objective is to establish challenges within the town and make their leaders accountable to ensure there is service delivery in the municipality. Some key leaders include Asuman Muhangi, the Chairperson of this Group, Philibert Natuhweera, the Treasurer, Living Binkamanyiro as the Secretary and more others.

According to Jacob Kafureeka, Mayor Ntungamo Municipality, they are hunting for about 320 million that is required for tarmacking the whole Matooke market. He says the council is cash-strapped to address the Matooke market traders’ plight in the short term. DEAR READER, DO YOU HAVE A HOT STORY? CALL/TEXT/WHATSAPP 0777959024 OR EMAIL: redpeppertips@gmail.com WITH AS MUCH EVIDENCE AS POSSIBLE.
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