Soroti leaders fight over Arapai market

By Robert Edwomu

Soroti – 7, September 2021: A section of unhappy Soroti city councilors have protested the district move to relocate the Arapai weekly cattle market from Amukaru-Aloet ward in Soroti city East Division to Akaikai in Arapai sub county, Soroti district.

The renowned Arapai Thursday market was shifted from the main Soroti-Moroto road to Amukaru following the road construction on the Soroti-Moroto.

With regulations that cattle markets are not allowed in cities, Soroti district therefore approved another site in Akaikai-Arapai sub county as a new place for the weekly cattle market.

The market structures were then demolished last month in an operation led by the Soroti Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Patrick Okumu on grounds that trade was ongoing amidst prohibited coronavirus regulations imposed on the markets and other sectors.

John Okwii Ekutele, the chairperson General Purpose Committee in Soroti city council, says Kampala city is having Nakasero and Banda in Kireka weekly markets, “Why not Soroti?” He asks.

Richard Ejotu, councilor representing Aloet Ward, narrates that he was arrested together with other seven people on the day of demolition as he attempted to ask for the letter that permitted them to demolish the market structures.

Simon Okiring, Soroti city East division councilor, says the district should respect the city council authorities and allow it to perform its roles accordingly.

Modesta Anyait, Peter Eyou, Harriet Agwang and the team say the council will soon sit and make the resolutions “but in nutshell people should prepare to resume trade in Amukaru”.

They claim that a decision to remove the weekly market from the city is informed by selfish interest based on local revenue collection.

Whereas the district has approved Akaikai, city councilors insist that Amukaru will continue hosting the weekly market on Thursday as well with the maintained name ‘’Arapai weekly market’’ as usual.

They say that the weekly market is among the revenue sources the city is looking at to boost its local revenue.

However, preparation and construction of structures in the new Akaikai site for the weekly market slated on Thursdays is ongoing.