KCCA ED MAKES IMPROMPTU VISIT TO OWINO MARKET AS LEADERS PREPARE HANDOVER

Susan Kushaba the Chairperson of St Balikuddembe (Owino) Market has said she will hand over operations of the market to the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka, peacefully.

This follows President Yoweri Museveni’s directive disbanding market leadership in all public markets in Kampala. He ordered for the immediate hand over of their operations to the KCCA Executive Director.

Kisaka who made an impromptu visit to the market on Monday assured the vendors that KCCA is taking over full administration of the markets for effective leadership and operations.

"I decided to come on ground after hearing contradictions to make the President's message clear.  The government wants harmony in the market. He does not want his people to suffer at the hands of landlords or exploitative leadership but rather have law and order in the market so that everyone can trade in peace,” Kisaka said.

KCCA has 16 markets whose leadership have been disbanded and the leadership and management are back to KCCA.

Kisaka, while talking to the vendors who were excited about the President’s Directives compared the KCCA kind of management of markets to a school.

“The market is like a school. A school has a headmaster or headmistress. At KCCA the head mistress who is in charge of the administration is the ED. Every school has a bursar, to collect money on behalf of the Headmistress. So I will bring a bursar in the market to collect all the money that goes to KCCA,”

“Like in each school, there can be a school prefect or class monitor. They are part of the school but they are not in administration and cannot collect money on behalf of the bursar or do administrative work on behalf of the headmistress. Therefore, vendors will not collect money or handle administration” Kisaka said.

She revealed that she will be deploying Market masters, and asked the vendors to welcome them peacefully.

“This is now a KCCA office, I have toured it and now waiting for the handover report from Kushaba and all the other leaders,” Kisaka said.

KCCA has instituted a Taskforce to oversee the smooth leadership transition as the implementation of the presidential directives takes place.

Regarding the stall rent rates that will be paid by the vendors, Kisaka said that these will be announced later.

“Support us to make the markets better and please respect the presidential directives,” Kisaka said.

Kushaba encouraged the vendors of Owino market whom she has served for two years as their chairperson to work with KCCA and respect the presidential directives.

“My traders are ready to work with KCCA to develop this market further. They are not interested in old leadership or any confusing clicks but the KCCA management,” Kushaba said.

She challenged KCCA to sort the issue of landlords who continue to harass and threaten vendors.

KCCA has 16 public markets and these include; Wandegeya, Owino/St. Balikudembe, Nakasero, Bugoloobi, Nateete, Busega, Nakawa, Kiswa, Luzira, Usafi, Kasubi, Kamwokya, Kinawataka, Kiseka, Namuwongo I, Numuwoongo II.​