Kayunga Vendors Plead for Central Government Help Over Stalled Commercial Market Project

Displaced vendors in Kayunga Town have appealed for urgent central government intervention to rescue a stalled commercial building project meant to provide them with permanent trading spaces. The traders say that repeated delays and missed deadlines have severely hurt their livelihoods and plunged them into financial uncertainty.

The three-storey project, initially slated to cost billions to build, was designed to accommodate vendors who were forced to relocate to pave the way for construction. However, missed deadlines—including an unfulfilled promise to complete the first floor by August 2026—have left many frustrated with local leadership, accusing officials of making empty pledges.

State Minister for Finance, Planning and Economic Development, who is also the Ntenjeru North MP Amos Lugoloobi, acknowledged that procurement bottlenecks at the district level have slowed down the implementation process. Administrative delays have persistently hindered contractors from keeping pace with the set schedules.

Meanwhile, Kayunga District Chief Administrative Officer Edith Mutabazi maintained that the project remains active and has not been abandoned. Mutabazi noted that the government has already released Shs250 million, which accounts for half of the Shs500 million allocated for the second phase of construction during the current financial year. District authorities have pledged that construction activities will resume on the site within the next two weeks.

As the deadline approaches, affected vendors remain skeptical, demanding tangible progress rather than mere verbal assurances. They continue to wait for a resolution that will allow them to return to organized trading spaces and rebuild their businesses.

Read more details on the Nile Post.