Joshua Nahamya
06 September 2023
Mbarara city has so far lost over 18 Mln supposed to be collected from fresh fish vendors in
Mbarara central market.
While carrying placards, and chanting on the streets of Mbarara on Monday, fish vendors have
vowed not to pay 100,000 shillings rent as levied by the city council. The vendors added that
they are not willing to quit the central market, a facility they have occupied for over 20 years.
Justine Natukunda, chairperson of fish vendors confirmed that since September 2022,
the fresh fish dealers have not been paying the monthly market rental fees to the city council
citing the high cost as a burden on their low incomes.
“After occupying the modern market in June 2022, the minister for local government Hon.
Raphael Magyezi gave us two months without paying to get used to the new facility, also Lord
Mayor Robert Kakyebezi added us another free month meaning that we were supposed to start
paying in October 2022 but I want to tell you that since then we have never paid anything to
the city council as landlords” she said
Natukunda explained that previously council was charging them rent of 30,000 shillings but
After reconstructing the central market, rent fee charges have increased to 100,000 shillings
per kiosk.
She said the new market was constructed for low-income earners thus claiming that they
won’t remit such high rent fees.
“We petitioned the city council to reduce it to at least 50,000. They refused. We cannot afford
that pay and that is the reason why we have spent all this time without complying” Natukunda
said
Robert Kabare, a fish vendor also said they can keep suffering at the expense of the city council
authorities in the market that was constructed by the government.
“We are in great pain and fear because the enforcement is threatening to come for us at any
time. We’ve written several letters to the city town clerk but they have adamantly refused to
listen to us therefore we appeal to the president to help us” Kabare said
“They warned that on Friday they will come and lock our kiosks but if they do, we are ready to
match to the president” he added
Crash Rugema, the publicity secretary for fish vendors, appealed to the minister of local
government Raphael Magyezi and premiere Robinah Nebanja for their rescue.
“We are 15 fresh fish vendors being oppressed by exorbitant rent fees because those that were
paying 200,000 were reduced to 100,000 but for us instead of reducing they increased to
100,000 shillings and we were only given one week to get out of the market so we are asking
why this this imbalance?” Rugema said
He said the daily fish business is an income source for widows, and orphans in Mbarara thus
appealing to the mentioned officers to revoke the one-week ultimatum.
“Without fish, our mothers, and grandmothers won’t have what to feed their children and where to
get school dues for their children so to the concerned we request your support”
Abas Nsengimana, who occupied the central market in 1970, said he was not ready to fight back but
will not quit the government facility.
“If it means dying we are ready to die from this market because we don’t have anywhere else
to go. Some of us have traded from this facility for the last 50 years, it is where we spend the
day looking for what to eat and educate our children” Nsengimana said
He said they are ready to pay 100,000 shillings rent if the council can pay for their water and
electricity bills.
“Our deep freezers consume 10,000 shillings every day if you multiply by 30 days a month that
is 300,000 shillings, a unit of water here is 11000 and we usually use two units meaning 22000 a
month if you add on that rent of 100,000 then it means every month a fresh fish vendor spends
422000 and that is a lot of money that we don’t get from this kind of business”. Nsengimana
explained
He added that they are challenged by limited transport means of getting fish from Kalangala
Island to Mbarara which the government should address.
“If you don’t get a bus with little luggage it means you have to wait for the next day and through
different means of transport you find us spending around 30,000 shillings every on transport
alone” Nsengimana said
Fatuma Katiti also said, “I came to this market in 1982, and it’s where I have spent all my entire
life. Now you chase me to go where”.
“I am a single mother I have children and grandchildren so chasing me from this market I don’t
know where to go” Katiti said
A kilogram of fish is now bought at 11000 shillings and a big fish is sold between 25000-30000
while a small fish is between 8000-12000 shillings
Simon Smith Mwijuka, chairman Mbarara City Traders Association (MBACITA) also said he will
stand with fish vendors to get justice.
“These vendors can’t afford the 100,000 at least they are ready to pay 50,000 but if council
insists then we shall follow the necessary suit to oppose this level of oppression from council”
Mwijuka said
“Why would you increase a low income earner from 30,000 to 100,000? Even if you are the
landlord, you don’t increase rent abruptly like that unless when you are telling someone to
vacate your premise” he added
Mwijuka said “he will push the matter to the relevant higher offices to see that vendors get
justice”.
“We don’t want bloodshed we only wish to see sanity in Mbarara central market”
Mbarara Central Market Association chairman Emmanuel Muhumuza retaliated that fresh fish
vendors are not special from all the vendors thus appealing to them to clear the council dues.
““As a chairman I have no mandate to collect any fees from the market mine is to fight for the
rights of the vendors. Even myself I am paying rent who are the fish vendors that have
refused to pay rent for all this time I blame the council that has failed to enforce” Muhumuza said
He said they negotiated with the council and had to reduce the rent fairs at first thus appealing
to them to comply.
“The issue of fish vendors has not just started today it has been on and we negotiated council
reduced their rent from 150,000 to 100,000 but instead of paying they have gone for strikes
and demonstrations which is not the way government works” Muhumuza explained
He added that other vendors who have been complying since October 2022 are threatening to
demonstrate.
“It is true rent was a problem and we made an alarm, council sat and reduced the fees but since
October 2023 up to today fish vendors have never paid anything yet other vendors in the
market are paying. And we are wondering why council would enforce and leave the fish
vendors operating without paying” Muhumuza said
He also blamed the council for failing to consult vendors when levying the rent fee structures.
“Council just sits and puts charges without coming on the ground to know how these businesses
are running to address such impulses”.
Assy Abirebe Tumwesigire, the city town clerk, explained that the council is charging the rental
fees from the stalls and lockups to get money to maintain the utility bills in the market.
“We cannot reduce the rent fees, if we do; we shall not have enough money to maintain that
market like paying for utilities such as lighting in the open space and where possible to clean
the market” Abirebe said
Ideally, the current potential collection from the Mbarara central market is 38mln shillings per
month and spend about 30 mln on utilities.
“We are operating minimally and what they are paying is just a maintain fee because overall we
collect 38 mln shillings and spend 30 mln to pay security guards, lighting, water bills and other
defects in the market so if we reduce again, we won’t get money for maintenance” Abirebe
said
The town clerk emphasized that they will not compromise anyone, and any vendor failing to
comply should be forced to leave the market by Monday.
“We have given them an ultimatum at the end of this week up to next Monday that those who
will not have complied they have a choice to walk out to a place where they can do their
business. We shall take over our facilities with effect from next Monday” Abirebe said
Mbarara Central Market is one of the newly constructed markets across the country, with
support from the African Development Bank under MATIP to enhance market economic and
social infrastructure to increase vendors ' income and revenue generation in urban areas.
