Summary:

• Vendors in Kyesiiga market, Hoima, have abandoned the facility due to poor hygiene, including a pervasive stench, uncollected garbage, and unsanitary conditions, prompting calls for urgent intervention from city authorities.

Hoima City | THE BLACK EXAMINER | Over half of the vendors in Kyesiiga market, Hoima City East Division, have deserted the facility due to poor hygiene conditions. Complaints from vendors opting for roadside selling along the Hoima-Kaiso-Toonya Road include a pervasive stench and the presence of flies attracted to uncollected garbage, blood, and dung, resulting in a decline in customers.

The market, initially constructed by Hoima Municipal Council, was intended to accommodate roadside vendors. While 50 initially occupied it, only 20 remain as of the latest report. Sylvia Birungi, a vendor enduring unsatisfactory sanitation, notes a lack of garbage collection for almost a year, leading to fly infestations and maggot breeding during heavy rainfall.

Butchers have abandoned their slaughter area, allowing blood and dung to flow within the facility, creating a pervasive odor. The accumulation of uncollected refuse has blocked access to toilets, prompting people to resort to makeshift solutions like defecating in polythene papers at night. Despite vendors’ appeals to Division leaders and payment of market duty and stall rent, the situation remains unresolved.

Samuel Katusabe, a lockup owner, told Examiner that over 100 vendors initially operated in the market, but only 20 remain. Stench from general waste, including animal dung, blood, and biodegradable garbage, has led to tenant abandonment, forcing landlords to reduce rental fees.

Harriet Alituha, a nearby bar owner, emphasizes the worsening hygiene exacerbated by heavy rains, expressing concerns about potential disease outbreaks. She urges city authorities to address the issue promptly or consider closing the market to prevent health risks.

Acknowledging the market’s poor condition, Hoima City Mayor Brian Kaboyo discloses that the city council has instructed butchers to vacate the market for food vendors only. Slaughtering animals will be relocated to Bulera cell in East Division, where a new abattoir is under construction, projected to be commissioned in February 2024. Kaboyo pledges to discuss the garbage issue with Hoima City West Division authorities, emphasizing their responsibility for waste collection in the market.