The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Mbarara, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Mbarara City Resident Commissioner James Mweisgye has instituted an independent Appeals committee to verify the final lists of vendors released by the verification committee.
The new extra layer of verification was set up following complaints from over 150 vendors that missed out on the lists that were verified by a committee instituted by the Local Government Minister.
During the commissioning of the 21 billion shillings central market last month, Minister Raphael Magyezi instituted a 14-member committee chaired by the Commissioner in charge of Markets in the ministry to verify and allocate vendors’ lockups/stalls within two weeks.
However, the verified list released on Tuesday comprised some 200 vendors with over other 300 missing out according to the original lists registered in 2010, 2016 and 2020 that had over 600 vendors. The newly reconstructed central market has 485 lockups and stalls.
Mwesigye says the majority of the vendors raising complaints and demanding lockups are those that sold out well knowing that the market belongs to the government.
He says others are those that were included on the lists later while at the Independence Park, but initially were not in the market.
He says the appeals committee has been set up from the verification committee that has been in place but excludes the Chairperson of the vendors, and the commercial officer.
He says the appeals committee is joined by the DISO and the deputy RCC and these are tasked with verifying the memorandum of understanding between the vendors and the ministry, and also verifying the lists.
Jennifer Namatovu, one of the vendors missing on the list says she had stall number 36 and signed the memorandum of understanding but she was surprised when she found herself missing out on the final list.
She says her stall was given to someone else who is not known by the vendors who operate from stalls.
David Tumwesigye, another affected vendor says he bought a lockup in 2015 and has all the agreements he was registered on the 2016 list before shifting and again in 2020, but was shocked to be missing on the final list.
Muhammed Nyombi, the Chairperson of the Vendors Association says they have since day one guided vendors that are missing on the lists to approach their department representatives on the verification committee.
He says he was excluded from the verification committee by the minister noting that he has no case to answer.
Asse Babireeba Tumwesigire, the City Town Clerk says vendors should stay calm but forward their complaints to the Appeals Committee to handle them.
The Minister Raphael Magyezi set the 11th of April as the day for vendors to start shifting back to the reconstructed Central Market.
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