FORMER MBARARA CENTRAL MARKET KIOSK OWNERS VOW TO DODGE MEETING WITH CITY LEADERSHIP NEXT WEEK

By Aggrey Twesigye
www.mknewslink.com
In Mbarara—

18 members of Mbarara central market kiosk owners association have vowed not to step a foot into a meeting with Mbarara city council leadership scheduled for next week.

The meeting was called to resolve differences between the city leadership and kiosk owners over Mbarara central market facilities so that they could be allocated over one hundred facilities available in the central market.

Ngabirano Ndabataata the treasurer Mbarara Central Market Kiosk Owners Association told www.mknewslink.com that in the late 1980’s, council allocated them space to construct kiosks in the then central Market which were later destroyed during the construction of the current market.

He noted that the city leadership has however turned its back on them insisting that they should rent space in the current central market.

He added that as kiosk Owners, they don’t have any problem meeting the council but their concern is that it intends to force them accept that they are tenants.

Benson Ruhangura a member of Mbarara central kiosk Owners Association revealed that their matter is still before the high court and affirmed that they will not meet Mbarara city Council leadership until they are assured that they won’t be forced to be Council tenants.

It should be remembered that the group in 2014 lodged a case of fraud and trespass against the then Mbarara municipal Council in Mbarara high court which was followed by a temporary injunction in the same court, seeking to stop their eviction until the hearing and determination of the main suit.

The injunction was granted on February 15, but on March 3, the same court cancelled it after Council appealed against the order.

In 2019, they again lodged a case in court of Appeal against the then Mbarara municipal Council blocking the reconstruction of Mbarara central market with claims that they owned part of land in the old central market.

However, speaking to www.mknewslink.com about the matter, Richard Mugisha the Deputy City Clerk Mbarara asked the aggrieved party to appreciate that they were Council tenants.

He said that as council their stand is that they are willing to recognize Kiosk Owners as people who owned facilities not Land.

“We have evidence that some of the Kiosk Owners who went to court were paying tenancy to the then Mbarara municipal Council,” Mugisha explained.

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