KAMPALA, Uganda — The Kampala Capital City Authority has no plans to demolish St. Balikuddembe Market, commonly known as Owino Market, officials said Friday, seeking to quell trader fears fueled by recent media reports.
KCCA Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki delivered the assurance before the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises, or COSASE, responding to queries from the Auditor General’s 2024/2025 financial year report.
“We have plans to make improvements because the market is ageing; in our strategic plans, we have no plans to demolish Owino as alleged,” Buzeki said. “We have engaged with traders and told them in the event we receive funds for its development, we will engage them even on issues such as designs and structure.”
Buzeki identified urgent rehabilitation needs, prioritizing areas affected by leakages, including sections for chicken and vegetable vendors.
“There are dozens of areas in need of improvement,” she said. “For now, we can go in and fix those repairs which cannot wait for the overall improvement.”
The appearance before the committee came after lawmakers raised concerns about the 55-year-old market’s future. Buzeki also disclosed that KCCA has taken over ownership of the market land from its former tenant, the St. Balikuddembe Market Stalls, Space and Lock-ups Shop Owners Association, or SSLOA.
Hon. Richard Sebamala, a Democratic Party lawmaker representing Bukoto County Central, said traders feared a potential takeover by private developers.
“Owino traders are now living in fear; that the market will one day be taken over by a private developer just like the Nakivubo channel,” Sebamala said. “Do you have it in your strategic plan to remove Owino market?”
Committee Chairperson Medard Sseggona said an outcry from traders required assurances from KCCA. He directed the authority to provide documentation on the market land’s ownership and whether due process was followed in the takeover.
“As an institution charged with public protection, we are raising legitimate questions on land ownership,” Sseggona said. “We want to know if you took over the land, did you compensate the former tenant, and if you did, produce evidence.”
Hon. Yusuf Nsibambi, the lawmaker for Mawokota County South, added that disputes surrounding the Owino land are longstanding, tracing them to the tenure of the former operator, which he said had overstepped its mandate and mismanaged the facility.
