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Kitgum, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Richard Okwera Ojara, the Kitgum Municipality Mayor-elect has outlined plans to unite the different factions of market vendors in the Municipality. Ojara was declared the winner of the hotly contested Mayoral race on Monday defeating the incumbent Mayor Walter Livingst Too-roma with 3,875 votes against 1,736 votes.
Ojara says disunity amongst vendors who greatly contribute revenue to the Municipal Council have remained unsolved for years.
Currently, there are two factions of market vendors operating at Tuma Atoo Satellite Market and Akuru Kwe in Central Division. The rift between the vendors started around November 2018 when a section of vendors were relocated to Airfield Market in Pandwong Division to pave the way for construction of modern Market bounced back and created their satellite market.
Attempts to evict them off the market site coupled with interference from leaders further sparked bitter tension between their leaders and those at the Airfield Market.
Ojara says he intends to facilitate election for the vendor’s leadership to get in new executives citing that since 2008, the terms of the current market executives have been intact without coming to an end.
He believes that the unchanged leadership could also be a factor that has created disunity amongst the vendors for long.
Ojara also highlights plans to upgrade Health Center III’s within the Municipality to Health Center IV to enable them to acquire an ambulance. He adds that they will ensure the establishment of seed secondary schools in all divisions and the acquisition of permanent administrative blocks for Municipality offices since the current ones are dilapidated and unfit.
The incumbent Mayor Too-roma on Tuesday conceded defeat and pledged to closely work with him. He also called on the locals to rally behind Ojara for the development of Kitgum Municipality.
Too-rom, however, attributed his defeat to factions amongst some leaders within Kitgum District.
George Amone, a Businessman within Kitgum Municipality welcomed ideas of uniting the traders. He says unity among the vendors will help in boosting trade and thus improving the revenue earning of the Municipal Council.
There are close to 1,000 market vendors occupying the two markets of Tuma Atoo and Akuru Kwe in Kitgum Municipality.
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