By Mike Rwothomio

Zombo: A section of traders from Paidha Central market in Paidha Town Council, Zombo District have raised concerns over challenges they are facing as a result of no public toilet at the market.

Paidha main market is the biggest and oldest market in Zombo District. It attracks hundreds of buyers and sellers daily.

Recently, 30 newly constructed lock up shops were commissioned at the market and there is projection that the number of vendors will increase to nearly 1000 up from 500, thanks to support from Government of Uganda through Development Innitiative for Northern Uganda (DINU) with funding from European Union/UNCDF.

Oliver Kwiocwiny, a vendor within Paidha main market, there is only one Privately owned facility that is nearly 300 metres away thus the need for it’s urgency at the market premises.

“Paying for the private facility for upkeep is ok but it’s far. this is making life hard for the vendors which needs to part with Ugx 300 to access a latrine facility which is nearly 300 meters away from the market,” she said.

Amos Jacan, the Zombo District Youth chairperson and a trader at Offaka road Chairperson Paidha main market said that limited access to latrine facilities at the market has made many people to resort to unhygienic behavior of open defecation especially in corridors.

He thus called upon the council to allocate some funds to address the crisis.

What We Know Sofar

This Publication learnt that For years, vendors have been using a private sanitary facility nearly 300 metres away from the market premises parting ways with between 300_500 Shs after every use .

Paidha central market is the biggest source of revenue for Paidha Town Council which has a population of over 40,000 people.

The LC5 chairperson of Zombo James Oruna says that in the financial year 2022/2023, the performance of revenue from the market alone was Ugx 230 million . This is estimated to increase to Ugx 286 Million per anum representing 18.3 % growth in the revenue performance after the commissioning of the new lock_up shops.

The market attract traders from different districts of Westnile Subregion, Northern Uganda, some parts of South Sudan and Eastern DR.Congo due to its richness in food products like Matooke, Dry cassava, Beans, Groundnuts, Avocados, Irish potatoes, Sweet Potatoes amongst others.

Dubbed as the food basket of Northern region,  Paidha central market situated in Awinjiri village central ward paidha town council, is 2.5 km away from DR.Congo Uganda Boarder.

It was established by paidha town natives in the 1950s and became under town authorities in 1994 but for long traders have been operating under harsh conditions in the wooden dilapidated structure that includes licking roofs, rats infestation, collapsing block from the muddy structure amongst others yet the market is a major local revenue source for Paidha Town Council.

The head of finance at Paidha Town Council Jacinto Kermu during a recent community Baraza at Paidha Town Council Hall said that plan to have sanitary facility at the market is in place” without detailing when it will happen.