Mbale City, Uganda: With just days to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s scheduled visit to Mbale City on Bugisu campaign trail, a fresh turmoil has erupted in Mbale Central Market—a government facility accommodating over 5000 vendors, but is now drowning in allegations of corruption, neglect, and exploitation by city council officials.
During a fact-finding visit led by President Museveni’s Office of the National Chairman (ONC) Manager, Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, the disgruntled vendors accused Mbale City Council officials of embezzling tax revenues, imposing illegal and unfair levies, and failing to maintain basic infrastructure despite collecting millions of shillings monthly.
They described the market as “a cash cow for corrupt officials”, alleging that while the council collects hefty daily and monthly taxes, little to nothing is reinvested in improving conditions.
“We pay taxes every single day, but there’s no water, no cleaning, and the garbage at the gate stays for weeks,” lamented Ismail, Chairperson of the KUNGA NRM Market Group. “The taps are dry, the toilets are filthy, and the council says there’s no money for repairs. Where does all the money go?”
They further claimed that council officials pocket millions in cash collections—without issuing receipts or remitting the money to the treasury. “Some of these officers move stall to stall collecting ‘taxes’ in cash,” one trader revealed. “If you don’t pay, they threaten to evict you or confiscate your goods.”
The vendors also revealed that the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) cut off water supply months ago due to unpaid bills—despite the city collecting water fees from traders.
Mulyama Judith, described the market’s infrastructure as “a death trap,” pointing to leaking roofs, cracked walls, and overflowing waste. “When it rains, water floods our stalls. The council looks on as we suffer,” she said. “We even pay for cleaning, but no one collects the garbage.”
PDM and Emyooga: Ghost Programs in the Market
The traders also complained that government wealth creation programs such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga have not reached Mbale’s urban poor.
“We hear about PDM and Emyooga every day on the radio,” said Ismail. “But here, no one has ever received a coin. All the beneficiaries are in villages. The city poor are invisible.”
The traders appealed for direct government monitoring to eliminate corruption at the local level, saying they have lost trust in the City Council structures.
In response, Hajjat Namyalo assured the vendors that she would personally report the corrupt officials to the President, promising an immediate review of the situation ahead of Museveni’s visit.
“If anyone is stealing taxpayers’ money, gather evidence and expose them,” Namyalo vowed. “The President has no tolerance for corruption. You deserve better working conditions, not exploitation.”
She further pledged to lobby for start-up capital and empowerment projects to support the traders’ businesses through the Office of the National Chairman (ONC). “We must protect the gains of the NRM government, but that starts with fighting corruption and delivering services where they are needed most,” she said.
Namyalo also rallied the vendors to remain loyal to the NRM and President Museveni, saying, “It is us who demand services from him, so we must also support him.”
About Mbale Central Market
The Mbale Central Market, commissioned by President Museveni in 2014 under the Markets and Agricultural Trade Improvement Project (MATIP), was constructed at a cost of UGX 28 billion with funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government of Uganda.
The market was meant to modernize trade, decongest streets, and improve livelihoods for thousands of small traders. However, a decade later, the market stands as a symbol of broken promises, corruption, and administrative decay—issues that remain unresolved as the President prepares to return to the city.
And now with President Museveni’s visit to the city on Monday, the Bazzukulu expect him to focus on wealth creation programs, urban service delivery, and NRM mobilization in the Bugisu sub-region, although, analysts say the Mbale market scandal could overshadow the visit unless swift action is taken to address the vendors’ grievances.
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