President Museveni rejects private ownership of markets

President Yoweri Museveni has rejected a proposal in the Markets Bill 2021 that would allow companies and private individuals to own and operate markets.

This was revealed in a letter from the President read by the Speaker Anita Among during the plenary sitting  on Tuesday, 07 March 2023.

The President expressed dissatisfaction with the proposal that the ownership and operation of markets be opened up to private individuals.

He added that there is need to review clauses on the private ownership of markets given the problems that have been associated with the management of public markets like extortion of vendors, charging of illegal fees, and levy and existence of landlords in the public markets.

“Given the problems that has been associated with the involvement of private persons or companies in the management of public markets, public markets should be developed and managed by local authorities; therefore, the above clause should be deleted,” the president’s letter read in part.

On sections 19 to 27 on the market management committee responsible for the day-to-day running of the markets, the President stated that the involvement of vendors in the management of public markets has been responsible for fueling conflicts through unfair utility prices, exorbitant charges  on vendors, illegal levies and dues and creation of factions among traders among others.

The President called for the deletion of all nine clauses emphasizing that management of the markets should be strictly by the local authorities.

In 2022, President Yoweri Museveni issued directives to guide the management of government owned city markets.

According to a statement issued by State House, the President met with the Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, Kampala Ministers and officials from the Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA, and issued a number of directives to guide the management of city markets.

“He noted that the leaders of the vendors had also become exploiters of the vendors they were supposed to represent. That they had turned their leadership positions into offices from where they earn a living,” said Museveni, directing that KCCA takes over the administration of the markets.

The President reiterated a directive he issued recently that no vendor should occupy more than one stall. He also directed that there should be a reasonable Mpooza (fee) the vendors should pay for the stalls and lock-ups, and that the Kampala leadership in the meeting decide later on what should be charged on items entering the market.