Contractor Hands UGX 25B Busia Market To Municipal Authorities

The contractor who built Busia Modern Market has handed newly constructed market to Municipal council authority. The handover function was held on Monday.

The 25 billion shillings market project construction started in April 2018 and was meant to be completed in April 2020. It was contracted to Zhongao-Zhongen joint venture limited, a Chinese construction company.

The market was commissioned by President Yoweri Tibuharurwa Museveni on 1st December 2020 during the presidential campaigns for the 2021 general elections. It was funded by Africa Development Bank under market and Agriculture trade improvement project-MATIP- 2.

Zhao Yuivyer, the engineer of Zhongao-Zhongen says that they have finished the construction and rectified most sections that was hindering the market from opening.

Zhao says that the construction is at 99% though they were disrupted by the outbreak of global covid-19 pandemic that slowed the construction processes after they were forced to reduce the number of workers at the project as it was required by ministry of health to observe standard operation procedures-SOPs.

They are now just handling remaining snags like painting few parts of the building, putting smoke ventilators in the kitchen and some small work in poultry section which they will do in one week. The decision to hand over the market is to enable Municipal authorities prepare the traders and begin allocating them their stalls.

Vincent Okurut, the Busia town clerk says that they are preparing to operationalize the market in April because they are done with display of registered vendors. They want to meet traders, sensitize them on proper management of the market then allow them to operate in it.

Kenyatta Wanjala, the chairman Busia main market vendors says that the handing of the market so that it opens for them to operate businesses has been long and overdue ever since it was commissioned by the president. 

Peter Ogulei, a trader dealing in second hand clothes, says that municipal council authorities should ensure the market is fully completed. They shall never accept to operate in unfinished building that would cause confusion while operating.

John Rex Achira, the Busia resident district commissioner-RDC says that handing the market to local authorities when there’s still some sections that needs to be rectified may caurse confusion between traders and local authorities in the area.

URN