FIRE GUTS BANGKOK MARKET IN NTUNGAMO

By Our Reporter

www.mknewslink.com

In Ntungamo

At least 150 vendors in Ntungamo Bangkok food market lost their businesses on Friday morning after fire gutted the wooden lock up structures used as shops, stores and eating places for hundreds of low income earners in Ntungamo municipality.

The fire that started on the southern side of the market at about 3:30am destroyed the entire structures of at least 137 kiosks near the Ntungamo Matooke market.

The market has been in conflict between the municipal authorities who have given several deadlines to the vendors to vacate with however vendors failing to honor the deadlines.

Part of the market was burnt in October 2018.

Vendors sighted foul play from the municipal authorities over the fire some accusing the municipality for starting the fire that destroyed merchandise worth over UShs 100M.

Ms Kedress Kemirembe, the chairperson of the vendors said the vendors had been given June 21^st deadline to vacate the market though there have been negotiations on going between them and the council and also various threats over their safety and their businesses.  

The market mainly had food places, charcoal stores, bars, video halls, general merchandise shops, chicken houses among others. The vendors further called for government support to restart businesses as most of them had taken loans including those from government. 

The Municipal town clerk Mr Festo Tandeka said he could not comment on the accusations of foul play and neither on the situation the businessmen are in or what the municipality will do about the situation.

The Ntungamo district police commander Mr. Damian Katwesiime said police are investigating the cause of fire.

He added that police took long to get information on the fire outbreak but they may have saved more properties.

He said that according to the report from the fire officer, the fire may have been started by an outsider since electricity was not connected and the lockup where the fire started had no business.

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