Gulu market vendors at Patiko Ajulu market face threats from gangs attempting to vandalise stalls and steal goods, disrupting vendors’ freedom and local trade in Gulu district.

Onung Franko, chairperson of the Patiko Ajulu business community, said the bar operating within the market facility is causing insecurity, leading drunken individuals to defecate at night, and some gang members are using stalls to play cards and engage in sexual activities with their partners, posing health risks to vendors who operate in perishables.

“We are calling on the sub-county leaders to close the bar that is operating within the market facility of Ajulu if we want to fight insecurity,” Franko appealed.

He added that another insecurity affecting the market vendors is also a dry spell, which is diminishing trading levels at Patiko Ajulu market, and noted that currently all the stores are closed and empty, with no food available for purchase from the farmers.

He stated that the government needs to step in with financial support to stabilise growth and allow us to transition to a money economy because the quick loans or daily loans are also another insecurity posing threats to our vendors, affecting trading at Patiko Ajulu market.

Franko highlighted that the sub-county has long failed to handle these matters; they are operating without power, and it is too dark at night, making it easy for gangs to vandalise their stalls, and the government should install solar power as an alternative means of power supply.

Patiko Ajulu market, with over 90 registered members, was established back in 1962, but they are operating without a savings group to help boost its financial stability, and they are calling for government support.

Abalo Beatrice, a cleaner who also sells vegetables at Patiko Ajulu market, said the community is misusing the market by defecating on the floors of the stalls.

She added that daily, she collects many used condoms that are being dumped, which is embarrassing for her health when she removes them by hand, posing a hygiene risk and increasing the risk of disease outbreaks in this sub-county.

“We need agents responsible for community baraza to handle mindset changes regarding the poor sanitation in this market,” Abalo said.

The gang men are always very vigilant from the bar, watching for any stock-in of commodities at our temporary stores, where at night, the gang men will break into the doors and steal all our goods.

“We urge the government to come and construct a modern store to combat such rampant theft,” she urged the government.

Abalo further added that overlapping economic and structural crises are making it difficult when it rains heavily due to a shortage of stores to keep perishable goods. Vendors often have to carry their goods on their heads home every morning and evening, limiting their stock levels.

“The gang men are vandalising our stalls daily; as a business community at Patiko Ajulu market, we need freedom and protection from the lower local government because we are also taxpayers,” she appealed to the government.

Calls for government intervention

Pauline Akena, a resident of Paja village, Patiko sub-county in Gulu district and chairperson of Patiko Ajulu market, said members do not have financial support to boost their businesses.

All the vendors are surviving on small loans that are not sustainable for growth.

“I deal with perishable goods like tomatoes, and with this prolonged dry spell, my business is down. My stall is empty, and I am losing customers and if I am financially stable, I could have changed my business,” Pauline said.

Pauline further adds that daily, they experience a lot of fighting by drunken youths who drink at the bar within the market, interfering with the peace of vendors and posing a threat to their lives.

The market is also lacking a proper garbage pit to collect food waste, and the surrounding environment is flooded with garbage, which needs attention from the government and health experts.

“In a day, my office registers three cases of theft and vandalism of stalls by gang members that occur at night when we are at home, and we have been referring these cases to the sub-county leaders, but no action has been taken,” she expressed disappointment with the leaders.

Otim Jackson, a tenderer at Ajulu market, said they are facing difficulties in revenue collection from the vendors due to many challenges that they encounter, putting them behind in revenue collection for the sub-county.

Otim further added that the market still lacks personal security to protect the property of vendors at night; even government security has not been deployed to guard and protect their property.

Further, he noted that it allows the surrounding community, who do not have latrines at home, to come and engage in open defecation, vandalising their public toilets, yet it is a source of revenue, also posing health risks.

He urges the central government to construct a modern market at Ajulu, which will boost revenue collection levels, and for the last few years, they have been paying about shs264,000 from the revenue they collect to Patiko sub-county on a monthly basis.

Komakech Patrick, chairman of LC3 of Patiko sub-county in Gulu district, confirmed that Ajulu market is now in a dilapidated state, yet it is the center of revenue generation for the Gulu district local government, creating a significant inconvenience for traders.

As a lower local government, they continue appealing to Gulu district local government and the central government to prioritise empowering local vendors for the economic growth of Gulu district.

Okello further advised the central government to prioritise rural electrification projects to connect Patiko sub-county, which will enable Ajulu market to benefit from power supplies, addressing insecurities in the market.