A dispute over more than Shs240 million in unpaid market arrears has pitted Bukedea Town Council against the operators of Bukedea Cattle Market, raising concerns about revenue losses and stalled service delivery projects. Town council authorities accuse Orongat Contractors and Vendors Association, which tendered the market, of failing to remit revenues collected from the weekly cattle market despite repeated demands.
According to Bukedea Town Council LC III Chairperson Samuel Engole, the contractor owes more than Shs240 million and has only paid a fraction of the outstanding amount despite the financial year drawing to a close. “Last week, I got a report from the town clerk that the contractor has not paid over 240 million for over ten months. He only paid for two months, and yet the financial year is coming to an end,” Engole said.
Engole alleged that the contractor has operated the market for years while accumulating debts and causing significant revenue losses to the local government. He further claimed that whenever arrears accumulate, the contractor changes company names to evade paying the outstanding balances.
According to Engole, previous companies linked to the same operators include Amorata 2010, Ocean 1, and Orongat, all of which allegedly left behind substantial debts. He said efforts to seek intervention from district authorities and the Inspectorate of Government have yielded little response. The council chairperson warned that failure to recover the money has directly affected service delivery in the town council.
He cited uncollected garbage and inadequate sanitation facilities at schools among projects that could have been financed using revenue from the market. “We have piles of garbage in Bukedea town. Pupils in Acabule Primary School are sharing one latrine, and such funds would help construct additional latrines to separate boys and girls,” Engole said.He added that the council’s objective is not to hand over the market to another operator but to ensure that public revenue is collected and used for community development. “If he fails to pay, he will have to vacate the market,” Engole warned.
However, the leadership of Orongat Contractors and Vendors Association has acknowledged the existence of the debt and pledged to clear it before the end of the month. Association chairperson Samuel Okimat said the market operators are facing challenges, including what he described as political interference from rival groups with interests in the market.
“We could be having an issue, but that is not the way to handle us as the service providers of the district. Look at the state of the market; we pleaded with them to reduce some fees, but they have refused. We have to pay 24 million shillings monthly,” Okimat said. Bukedea Town Clerk Johnson Opolot confirmed that discussions have been held with the contractor and that the association has committed to clearing the arrears before the close of the financial year.
“We have the tenderer agreeing to pay that money as we discussed by the end of the financial year,” Opolot said. Bukedea Cattle Market is one of the district’s major sources of locally generated revenue. Held weekly, the market attracts hundreds of traders and livestock dealers from across Eastern Uganda and plays a key role in supporting local government resource mobilization and service delivery-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
