COVID-19 hinders completion of Mbarara central market

Aaron Ainomugisha.

Mbarara deputy Resident District Commissioner Emmy Kateera Turyabagyenyi says COVID-19 outbreak has hindered completion of the central market that will house about 1500 vendors.

Construction of the shs21 billion market by ROKO construction company kicked off on February 14, 2018 under the Markets and Agricultural Trade Improvement Project (MATIP) expected to be completed in February 2020 but construction was halted due the outbreak of COVID-19.

Kateera said the construction is about to resume and it is expected to be complete by mid 2021.

Donozio Kibanda, the publicity secretary for the central market vendors who now operate in independence park admits that the stalls in the new market are very small and it will be hard for new entrants to secure space.