LACK OF FUNCTIONAL MARKET COMMITTEES NEGATIVELY AFFECTS EDIOFE MARKET VENDORS

Vendors and officials from Ayivu division and Arua city.

By Onzoma Albert
Arua City

The Ediofe market and trading center in Arua city faces significant challenges due to the absence of functional market committees, which has adversely affected vendors in the community market.
 
The last market committees were elected in 2000, and their prolonged absence has led to disorganization and diminished vendor representation in market management.
 
This lack of oversight has contributed to bureaucratic hurdles, limited transparency, and insufficient support for vendors, negatively impacting their economic activities.
 
Clara Ajio, the Ediofe women market Vendors cooperative chairperson reported critical issues the vendors face during market platform engagement organized by strategic initiative for women in the horn of Africa SIHA Network for the vendors.
 
“We as the vendors of Ediofe market face so many challenges because we don’t have water, electricity, iron bars covering the sewage line are worn-out, street vending in front of the market is affecting us vendors who are inside, there is also no zebra crossing for us to cross the road to the market all this challenges are affecting as vendors,” she said.
 
Lillian Maturu, the project outreach officer at SIHA Network is quite optimistic that all the issues affecting the vendors will be addressed.
 
“As SIHA we thought of providing market platform for women market vendors to dialogue with key duty bearers and in particular today we were in Ediofe market and the women market vendors have raised so many issues which we believe needs urgent actions from the responsible authorities and I am very clad that we have got commitments from the key duty bearers to address them” she said.
 
In response, Godswill Daniel the commercial officer of Ayivu division emphasize the need to establish new, functional market committees to address these issues.
 
“Most of this issues raised by the market vendors that is affecting them is because the market committees of this particular market are not in place and most of market vendors don’t know their roles, once we shall elect the new market vendors all this issues will be addressed one by one” he said.
 
The Uganda Parliament’s recent passage of the Market Act 2023 promises a comprehensive framework to improve market management nationwide.
 
The Act replaces the outdated 1942 law, introducing provisions aimed at increasing transparency, reducing disputes, and involving vendors in decision-making.
 
Specifically, market committees are now seen as pivotal in allocating market spaces fairly and reducing conflicts.
 
Establishing effective market committees at Ediofe is crucial for improving infrastructure, safety, sanitation, and vendor support.
The new legislative framework offers an opportunity to reform market management, promote fairness, and enhance the economic and working conditions of vendors at Ediofe, ultimately fostering a more organized and secure trading environment.