President Museveni yesterday commissioned the state of the art Kasubi Market in Rubaga Division, Kampala district as part of efforts to make the city more organised. The Ugx 1.66 Bn facility will serve 800 vendors working in shifts.The market is aimed at stopping vendors from operating from the road near the old Busega roundabout.
Museveni said the construction of the facility was a fulfilment of a host of pledges made by the government to the people of Kampala on the modernisation of markets, roads and drainage channels.”Kasubi Market will house over 1,400 traders though currently only 800 are using it because of SOPs on social distancing. With this facility functional, I urge those who have been selling merchandise along the roads to use it instead,”Museveni said.
He also warned corrupt KCCA enforcement officials and the police against ruining the reputation of the government.
Museveni also presided the launch of construction works on the Lubigi and Nakamiro drainage channels. He said the two drainage channels will relieve the people of Kawempe and Bwaise of flooding especially in the rainy season. The project will be completed in 12 months.
He further expressed concern over the crowded people who had come to cheer him noting that such gathering must stop since it poses a high risk of spreading the covid-19 disease.
“I still see people flouting guidelines we put in place to check the spread of Covid-19. This disease is serious. We have so far lost five lives which could have been saved. Please don’t be reckless,” Museveni said.
Kasubi Market is likely to reduce the number of street vendors who have for many years been involved in running battles with city authorities for operating from illegal stations.
Busega Market is constructed under the government’s Markets and Agricultural Trade Improvement Programme (MATIP) with funding from both Government of Uganda and the Arab Bank of Economic Development in Africa (BADEA).
BADEA financed the first phase of the construction works of the facility at Ugx 20Bn while the second phase was financed by the government of Uganda at Ugx25Bn. The construction works was handled by the Arab Contractors Ltd.
Busega Market is among the nine markets that have been constructed under the MATIP programme.
Other markets include Wandegeya Market, Jinja Central Market, Mpanga Market (Fort-Portal Municipality) and Hoima Central Market.
This was meant to increase production and marketing of agricultural commodities, enhance incomes of vendors, increasing employment and customer satisfaction.
