Fresh wrangles have emerged at Amber Court market in Jinja between the vendors and the market executive over allegations of misappropriation of funds.
The conflict arises from the market executive headed by Ayub Kitamirike, who in May 2011 asked vendors to contribute 1000 shillings each for opening up a bank account for the vendors.
The need arose after President Yoweri Museveni, while on his campaign trail pledged to give the vendors 10 million shillings to help them in their businesses.
More than 800 vendors say they registered after contributing the said money.
Two months after paying the money, the vendors reportedly heard that some of the vendors received subsidized loans of between 100,000 to 200,000 shillings from the presidential pledge. This raised suspicions of impropriety. This forced the market vendors confronted their chairman Ibrahim Maganda.
Maganda, however, says the vendors collected money and handed it over to the head of the market executive Ayub Kitamirike. He says he was never informed on any other developments after the money was collected.
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Mudhasiru Wamanga, one of the vendors says some of the departments got some money in form of loans, while some did not get anything yet all the vendors in their respective departments contributed money. Out of 15 departments in the market, only three received money in form of loans.
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He says he will not pay market dues unless the leadership clearly explains how the money was used.
Esther Kyozira, a vendor dealing in silver fish says she received 200,000 shillings in June 2011. But she questions the amount of money used to open up a bank account. More than 800 vendors paid 1000 shillings each and she wants to know how the money was spent.
Kitamirike admits receiving the money amounting to 850,000 shillings adding that the bank account was opened up and the presidential pledge was received. He explains that some of the vendors who took loans defaulted, making it difficult for their colleagues to also get money. The vendors allegedly claimed the president gave them the money to appreciate their support during 2011 elections.
He says Amber Court market executive has had several meetings and resolved that those who borrowed the money and did not return it will be prosecuted.
