By KT Reporter
The Lira Resident City Commissioner (RCC) has warned vendors and opposition politicians against mounting political party flags and symbols at the newly refurbished Lira Main Market, saying the facility remains government property and should not be politicised.
For the last one month, MTN Mobile Money, in partnership with Lira City Council, has temporarily taken over the market to repaint and beautify it as part of a broader urban renewal and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative.
The exercise involved cleaning and repainting the structures in MTN’s signature colours, while also promoting digital payments aimed at transforming the central market into a modern and vibrant business hub.
Before the facelift began, the market walls were heavily covered with campaign posters and party flags—mostly from the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC)—hung at various entrances.
The inner walls of the market remain covered with campaign posters of different politicians, particularly candidates contesting in the Woman Member of Parliament, mayoral and parliamentary races across the city’s two divisions.
Following the completion of the refurbishment works, Lira City RCC Lawrence Egole cautioned vendors against hanging political party colours either in front of or inside the market, warning that such actions amount to claiming ownership of government property.
Borrowing from the National Resistance Movement (NRM) slogan for this year—“Protecting the Gains”—Egole urged vendors to make responsible use of the facility and safeguard the improvements made to the market.
Lira City Mayor Sam Atul described the partnership with MTN as a long-term journey aimed at transforming the lives of traders operating in the main market.
“This is not the end of our partnership. This is the first step of a journey to change the lives of people in the Main Market. And the other thing we agreed on is coming up with a day when we shall sit down to brainstorm on how to make Lira City more beautiful than we are seeing now.”
The Mayor further announced that starting January, the city plans to introduce a monthly general cleaning day, beginning with the Main Market, with MTN committing to take part. He appealed to traders to suspend business for at least 15 minutes on the designated day to participate in cleaning activities.
Representing the Town Clerk, Principal Assistant Town Clerk Rebecca Acen said the rebranding exercise marked a major milestone for Lira City and reflected a commitment to inclusion, innovation and economic growth.
On behalf of MTN Mobile Money, General Manager for Financial Operations Peter Ocen said the initiative went beyond beautification to improving business readiness and promoting cashless trade among traders.
“Beyond the physical refresh, the initiative reinforces MTN Momo role as long term partner to traders and small businesses,” he said, adding that it supports their transition to modern cashless commerce using MoMo as a payment solution.
Ocen added that under MTN’s Ambition 2025 strategy, the company is committed to driving financial inclusion and enabling traders to operate in a safer, more efficient and cashless environment that supports their everyday hustle.
Alfred Omugethum, the Lira Main Market Master, welcomed the rebranding, describing it as a historic milestone for the market and the development of the city. He called on vendors to heed the RCC’s advice and collectively protect the facility.
Commissioned in 2015, Lira Main Market has the capacity to accommodate about 1,874 stalls and 500 lock-ups, designed to serve more than 1,900 vendors.
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