The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Pallisa, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | More than 2,000 vendors operating in Pallisa Main Market are facing the threat of hygiene-related disease outbreaks due to the absence of public pit latrines for the past four years. Since 2020, the vendors have been forced to use nearby unfinished buildings and private pit latrines for their sanitary needs.
The failure to construct public pit latrines in the market is reportedly due to a dispute between Pallisa Town Council and three family members over the ownership of the land on which the market stands. Jude Martin Aisu, the town clerk, disclosed to our reporter on Sunday that Bin Said Muniru, Sale Bin Said, and Safia Sale are claiming ownership of the land where the market is situated.
Aisu mentioned that the town council intended to build a three-stance pit latrine in the market during the Financial Year 2022/23 for 14.4 million Shillings. The contract was awarded to M/S Difasi and Wagana Consult [Ug] Ltd, but construction was halted by the Sale family, who alleged that the town council had no rightful claim to the land.
Aisu explained that legal action has been initiated, with Civil Appeal No. 86/2024 currently pending before the High Court. He emphasized that the land was acquired through legal means and that the rightful landowners were duly compensated.
When contacted, Safia Sale insisted that the land rightfully belonged to their family and accused the town council of attempting to seize it. The Pallisa Chief Administrative Officer, Fredrick Byekweso, has asked the Pallisa Resident District Commissioner, Magidu Dhikusooka, to organize a security meeting to address the dispute.
The Pallisa Town Council Executive Committee, led by Yusuf Zomu, the LC3 chairperson, suggested relocating the pit latrine to Osupa Primary School due to the complications surrounding the current site. Zomu highlighted the challenges faced by the community in accessing proper sanitation facilities, forcing many to travel long distances to use the nearest pit latrine.
Ali Ogogolo, the chairperson of the Pallisa Traders Association, expressed concerns about the unhygienic conditions in the market, prompting several vendors to relocate and operate along the roadside.
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