TORORO – Hon. Barugahara Balaam Ateenyi, today made an impromptu tour of Tororo Central Market as part of the nationwide accountability and anti-corruption campaign dubbed “Expose the Corrupt.”
The Minister arrived in the municipality this morning in the company of the Commissioner for Urban Administration, Mr. Charles Magumba, Hon. Tang Odoi, Tororo Municipality Member of Parliament Shyam Jay Tanna, and other Members of Parliament and district leaders.
Hon. Balaam, who was met by cheering vendors and curious residents, walked through the market inspecting stalls, drainage systems, electricity connections and sanitation facilities. He listened to complaints from vendors about high market dues, irregular allocation of stalls, poor lighting and the low occupancy of the newly constructed market facility.
Sources inside the market said some traders have abandoned stalls inside and resorted to selling on the streets, citing design flaws and governance challenges.
Addressing vendors briefly inside the market, Hon. Balaam assured them that government is committed to fixing the persistent challenges at Tororo Central Market. He revealed that the Ministry will deploy a team of engineers to conduct a technical assessment of the structure, as requested by the municipal leadership led by MP Tanna and Mayor Bernard Ochieng.
The Minister however maintained government’s position that all vendors must operate from within the gazetted market and not on streets and road reserves.
In a strong message to the traders, Hon. Balaam directed all market vendors, leaders and concerned residents to attend a public accountability Baraza scheduled at Lion’s Park.
