Camp Swahili market – Lira: less than 40 stalls occupied out of 294 available spaces

The Camp-Swahili market could lose the current vendors by 50 percent if swift interventions are not made.

Lira – February 7, 2022: Owners of lockups at Camp –Swahili market in Lira City East Division are crying. Their cries are about a fewer number of vendors occupying their lock-ups and stalls.

TND News understands that the market is currently accommodating less than 40 vendors out of 174 lockups. Also, more than 120 stalls are untenanted.

According to a report obtained from the Deputy Speaker of Lira City East, Moses Hassan Okeng, the market was established by a group of ‘developers’ in 2002.

Despite an attempt to relocate vendors to Camp-Swahili by the Lira Municipal Council authorities at that time, the move attracted resistance from vendors.

Some who heeded the call shifted, according to the Deputy Speaker. However, later, they decided to vacate and reallocate their businesses to other places. They said they are receiving very few customers.

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Apart from fewer customers, there is also poor sanitation within the market: poor garbage management and public toilets are not used.

Sarah Akello is a salon operator and she is among a few vendors still operating from Camp-Swahili. “We do not have many customers and sometimes stay without a client.”

The area local Council II chairperson, Jennifer tells TND News the place has turned into a meeting point for thieves at night. “This is where they convene and plan from,” she adds.

Silvia Rose Oteng is another lockup owner. She expresses their disappointment after injecting money for the construction of lockups but only to realize that the lockups are not accommodating tenants.

She claims that the total money injected by different developers was more than shs2 billion. TND News is verifying this claim. There is also a challenge of access roads and water for running the public toilets at the moment, Oteng tells this publication.

Deputy Speaker Okeng is also the area councilor for Te-Obia parish where the market sits. “As division leaders, we are calling upon the Lira City leaders to do something within their capacity and ensure that the market has vendors.