Bukedea Town Council has petitioned the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) to investigate the alleged failure by Orongat Vendors Cooperative Society Ltd to remit Shs168 million collected from the weekly Livestock market. The council says the contractor, who was awarded the market management tender on August 19, 2025, has only remitted dues for five months, leaving seven months of unpaid dues despite repeated reminders.
In a letter signed by Bukedea Town Council LCIII Chairperson Sam Engole, the council asked the IGG to intervene to recover the funds and investigate alleged irregularities in the contract’s implementation. “The purpose of this complaint is to seek your assistance to help recover the funds and intervene on irregularities made as per the contract terms,” the letter states.
Engole said the unpaid revenues have affected service delivery in the town council, citing challenges such as garbage collection and inadequate sanitation facilities in schools. He claimed that operators linked to the market have previously accumulated debts under different company names, alleging that firms such as Amorata 2010 and Ocean 1 left behind outstanding balances before the current operator took over.
“When arrears pile up, the contractor frequently changes the name of the operating company to evade settling outstanding balances,” Engole alleged. He said the council is not seeking to remove the operator but wants public revenue collected and used for community development. “If he fails to pay, he will have to vacate the market,” Engole warned.
Orongat Vendors Cooperative Society Ltd has acknowledged the outstanding debt and pledged to clear it by the end of the month. The cooperative chairperson, Samuel Okimat, attributed the challenges facing market operators to what he described as political interference by rival groups seeking to control the market. Bukedea Livestock Market is one of the major sources of locally generated revenue for the district. The weekly market attracts livestock traders from across Eastern Uganda and contributes to local government financing and service delivery-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
