Part of new Kabale Central Market
Chong Chuing International Construction (CICO), a Chinese based company contracted to upgrade Kabale central market has finally handover the project to the government.
The 23 billion shillings facility was constructed under the World Bank-funded Markets and Agricultural Trade Improvement program – MATIP III started in 2019.
The contractor was scheduled to have completed the work by late last year, but because of some challenges the contract was extended until September this year.
But failure to hand over the market in September sparked complaints among vendors arguing that the temporary Kabale Police barracks market where they are operating is in a sorry state with flooding around the area and leaking roof.
On Thursday, the company officials led by a project manager, Mou Shaojiu handed over the market to government authorities led by Engineer Emmanuel Mwebaze, Commissioner for Market Infrastructure Development at the Ministry of Local Government, and Emmanuel Sentaro Byamugisha, Kabale Municipality mayor.
The market was however handed over without a fence at the back facing river Kiruruma.
Speaking during the handover, Mwebaze attributed the delay in completing the project in time due to unavoidable changes in design and the outbreak of COVID-19 which forced the contractor to reduce staff.
Mwebaze says that Kabale Municipal Authorities now have the mandate of carrying out proper re-allocation of vendors to take up the lock-ups in accordance to following the guidance of the Ministry of Local Government.
Sentaro said they want to ensure vendors start occupying the market by December 15th, 2022. He says that by that time, the verification that is ongoing will be complete and all stalls and lockups will be allocated to legible vendors.
Joshua Mutekanga, Chairperson for the Kabale vendors’ association hailed the government for considering the construction of such a modern market in Kabale.
-URN
