EDITOR
Vendors, residents, and customers of Bugungiro Weekly Market in Bugungiro Parish, Nyamweru Sub County, Rubanda District decry poor sanitation over lack of public toilets.
The market operates every Sunday and attracts people from districts of Kabale, Rubanda and Rukiga. The weekly market also attracts traders from the Central region, Ankole region and neighbouring Rwanda.
Obed Kadabada, the chairperson Bugungiro Market traders, expressed concern over sanitation saying that landlords close the toilets on market days which is increasing poor sanitation. He expressed the poor service delivery to leaders over their self-interest which is putting the people of Bugungiro at stake.
Florence Kagubaara, a trader in Bugungiro trading center, said that the trading center is now open to defecation.
Junior Njanjare, also known as Rutatinamparana, said that their leaders have let them down yet they are always collecting revenue from the market. He added that the market is located in Rubanda East constituency which belongs to the Minister of Finance (General Duties) Henry Musasizi, and the Rubanda District Chairman LC5 Ampeire Steven Kashyaba is keeping a deaf ear about their issues.
Medison Mugisha, the Nyamweru Sub County speaker who doubles as the Bugungiro Parish LC3 councilor, said that the Sub-county council gave the district land to build the public toilet. The land that was given is located at Bugungiro Health Center II but the district has never considered it essential. He attributes the issue to negligence by the district yet they are collecting revenue from the market. Dorcas Nalohoza, the LC3 female councilor for Bugungiro Parish, said that the district should exempt taxes from traders and collect money and build the toilet if the district keeps a deaf ear.
Our efforts to reach out to the Rubanda District Chairperson LC5 Ampeire Steven Kashyaba were futile as his known contacts were not available by the time of filing this story.
