Local government minister Balaam Barugahara has directed that tenderers be removed from matooke markets in Sheema district, ordering instead that the traders themselves be handed the tenders to run the markets. The minister argued that the existing arrangement had allowed tenderers to exploit traders for years, collecting millions of shillings in revenue while returning only a small fraction to local councils and offering no services or development in exchange.
Directive Issued During Anti-Corruption Tour
The order came during the minister's Expose the Corrupt anti-corruption crusade and monitoring visit to Sheema district on Saturday, November 6. His first stop was Itendero Market, where matooke traders raised complaints about being relocated by the council from Itendero town to Nyabuhama, on the outskirts of Itendero.
During the visit, Barugahara instructed Sheema municipality mayor Lukia Nakalisa not to renew the current tender when it expires at the end of this financial year. He advised the traders to organise themselves into a SACCO and then be awarded the tender to manage the market on their own terms.
"You will be paying sh15 million of what you collect monthly to the council, and the rest of the money you use to develop yourselves. This is better, as the money will be benefiting many instead of the three members of the group that currently has the tender to manage the market," he said.
Traders Detail Longstanding Grievances
The traders accused the current tenderer of imposing harsh conditions, including a requirement that only their own trucks be used to transport matooke from the market to Kampala, at a steep cost. Adrine Atuhiirwe, a trader at the market, said traders in other markets paid sh2,000 to transport each bunch of matooke to Kampala, while the tenderers at Itendero charged sh3,000 per bunch, which she described as expensive.
"They often leave our matooke in the market yard and refuse to transport it, claiming it is little food, yet they don't allow other trucks to come in and support us," she said.
The traders also told the minister that they had no recognised elected market leadership. During the visit, he asked them to nominate candidates they considered suitable to lead them, followed by an election.
Kabwohe Traders Speak Out
The minister later visited Kabwohe Matooke Market, where traders complained that the current tenderer had operated the market for 20 years without providing adequate services or development. The complaints echoed those raised at Itendero, painting a picture of a market system where those holding the tenders have profited while the traders who depend on the markets for their livelihoods have borne the costs.
The minister's directive is expected to reshape how matooke markets in Sheema district are managed, shifting control from private tenderers to trader-led cooperatives. If implemented as announced, the arrangement would allow traders to retain a larger share of market revenue and reinvest it in their own businesses and infrastructure.
The visit forms part of a broader anti-corruption push by the local government ministry, which has been moving through districts to hear directly from citizens about the failures of service delivery and the abuse of public resources. For the traders of Sheema, the minister's words offered a rare moment of attention from the centre, though the real test will come when the current tenders expire and the new arrangements take effect.
