UGANDA, Mbarara | Real Muloodi News | Mbarara Municipality officials and the Mbarara Central Market Kiosk Owners Association continue to be embroiled in an ongoing dispute over ownership of the redeveloped state-of-the-art Mbarara Central Market.
The Central Market Kiosks Owners Association has claimed ownership of the market since 2009, ever since the central government announced that it would contract a private contractor to construct a new and modern market to replace the old one.
However, in 2014 the Mbarara Municipal Council acquired a title for the market site at Plot 2-4 Mbaguta Street.
As a result, the Kiosk Owners petitioned to the High Court and placed a caveat on the land, impacting the market’s redevelopment plans.
While commissioning the 485 vendors stall-new market, the Minister of Local Government, Raphael Magyezi, said that the market belonged to Mbarara City Council and not the Kiosk Owners Association.
Whereas the chairperson of the aggrieved Kiosk Owners, Joy Night Mpiirwe, says in 1989 they were allocated land to construct kiosks by the then Mbarara Municipal Council and were fully given rights as bonafide occupants on the same land.
Allocation of lock-ups was scheduled to start on the 11th of April. Some stall and kiosk owners under the Mbarara Central Market Kiosk Owners Association want the stalls and lock-up allocation in the new market stopped until the the court case is complete and an agreement is reached.
Mpiirwe adds that they were shifted to Independence Park as kiosk owners, and want to return as lock-up owners in the new market as per the agreement they made with the government in 2018.
Ndabatata Ngabirano, the Secretary of the Association, also adds that in 1989 the Municipal Council approved their request for space, which they applied for in 1983.
Muhammed Nyombi, the Central Market Vendors Association chairperson, says the City Council Authorities are handling the matter.
Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi, the City Mayor said he is ready to discuss with the aggrieved vendors if they agree to settle the case out of court.
Recently, a list of Mbarara Central Market Vendors was formulated, leaving out other vendors who tabled their complaints and the Minister of Local Government, Raphael Magyezi, intervened.
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