MOROTO – Authorities of Moroto Municipal Council in Moroto district have been foreced to recieve a cracked multi-billion market even before the request of the traders is addressed.
Last month a group of traders of Moroto Municipality had asked government to instigate an inquiry to establish how the recently constructed Shs25 billion market in Moroto had developed cracks months before it is handed over for occupancy.
Moroto market was developed under the markets and Agriculture trader improvement program (MATIP) with co-funding from the Arab Bank of Economic Development in Africa.
Its construction started in 2018, under contract given to Ambitious construction company limited.
The construction works were expected to be complete last year, however, works have dragged on and are expected to continue into next year.
Despite the delays, it was discovered that the building structure had developed wide cracks.
But out of desperation the Moroto officials were left with no any other option but to recieved the market from the contractor.
Mr. Ismail Mohamed, the Mayor of Moroto Municipality told PML Daily that they have no any option but to recieve the market.
He said they wanted first for the investigations to be done on the cracked market but they could wait when the traders were losing their machandise to burglarous.
“You can the situation we are but generally this market we pray will not burry people,” he said.
Betty Nambooze one of the traders said government will be responsible incase the market caves in and buries people.
“We shall use the market but we will not be comfatable because of these cracks that the contractor has repainted instead of correcting it,” she said.
John Mudong, another trader appealed that contractors such as Ambitious construction limited should be blacklisted adding that their type of construction puts the lives of many Ugandans at risk.
