Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has launched the construction of a thirty-two-billion-shilling Ggaba Market, funded by the World Bank. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, KCCA Executive Director Hajjat Sharifa Buzeki said the market is intended to address the challenge of inadequate space in the existing markets.
Once completed, the market will accommodate vendors affected by the trade order exercise being implemented in Kampala.The vendors raised concerns about the poor state of some of the markets where KCCA wanted them to operate.
Following the complaints, President Yoweri Museveni directed the construction of more than two markets in each division of Kampala to create spaces where farmers could sell their produce.
Buzeki said KCCA registered all vendors operating in Ggaba to facilitate the implementation of the “one stall, one vendor” policy so as to prevent some vendors from occupying more than one stall. She said KCCA developed a design that would accommodate all vendors engaged in different categories of businesses in the area.
According to Buzeki, the new market will have 143 stalls, 173 lockups, a store, 60 shops, 47 pitches, 168 restaurants and a business hub to help vendors acquire skills in business management. The market will also have furnished cold rooms to preserve perishable goods such as fish and fruits.
For mothers with babies, the market will provide a childcare space where children can be kept and monitored, allowing vendors to conduct their businesses while their children are safely cared for.
The Executive Director said 13 companies expressed interest in constructing the market, and KCCA awarded the contract to Ambitious Construction Company Limited. Supervision of the works will be carried out by SEGAMU Consultants.
According to Buzeki, construction of the market will take two years, followed by a one-year defects liability period. She also told Ggaba residents that the available stalls would be more than the number of registered vendors and that priority would be given to vendors who were registered in the old market.
Buzeki urged residents to monitor the construction works to ensure better service delivery. The Lord Mayor of Kampala, Ronald Balimwezo, urged the contractors to ensure timely completion of the project.
He also raised concern about the lack of harmonisation among government entities during the planning stage, noting that the land on which the new market is being constructed also has a community toilet built by GIZ at a cost of millions of shillings.
Balimwezo urged KCCA to incorporate the existing toilet into the market’s design. He also urged residents to stop the practice of open defecation, particularly those living around the lake. The Lord Mayor cautioned the contractor against shoddy work and poor service delivery.
The state minister for Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs, Kabuye Kyofatogabye, urged vendors to use the market as an avenue to improve their financial capacity and development. He also called on vendors to desist from fights and misunderstandings arising from political affiliations.
Kyofatogabye further warned vendors about ownership of the stalls, clarifying that they would only have user rights, while ownership would remain solely with KCCA. Makindye Division is one of the densely populated divisions of Kampala, with Ggaba having over 30000 people-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
