BUSINESS OPERATORS ABANDON MASINDI MARKET OVER GARBAGE

By Innocent Atuganyira

MASINDI: Residents operating at Kirabo kya Kasigwa Market in Central Division Masindi Municipality Masindi district have abandoned the market over increased garbage.

The garbage has flooded almost half of the market. According to the business operators who spoke to our reporter Tuesday afternoon, the Masindi municipal authorities have spent over three months without collecting the garbage.

Ten years back, the market was accommodating over 100 business operators and declination is at its peak.

Sunday Tumwesige, a butcher operator explains that the weekly market that operates on Saturday has been abandoned stressing that only four people turn up for business on Saturdays.

Tumwesige attributes the decline to garbage since it has covered almost half of the market.

Joseph Isingoma, a pork joint operator at the same market asserts that previously they would get profits compared to now.

”I used to get profits before, due to the garbage, i’m counting only losses.”

Riitah Birungi, restaurant operator, says that due to the chocking smell from the garbage, he has lost a number of customers.

Birungi stresses that they are at risk of contracting diseases yet they pay tax. ”Municipal authorities are always harsh when collecting taxes, but they are not minding of collecting the garbage.”

When our reporter approached Patrick Asiimwe the Deputy Town Clerk Masindi Municipality in his office, he declined to comment on the matter and referred us to Francis Businge the Central Division Town Clerk.

Efforts to get a comment from Francis Businge, the Central Division Town Clerk, were futile since his known phone number was unavailable by the time we filed this story.