03/06/2026
Mbale Division Mayor Suspends Market Master Over alleged Revenue Mismanagement.
The Mayor of Mbale Industrial City Division, Abdallah Madoi, has suspended the Market Master of Mbale Central Market and ordered vendors to stop paying market fees until Monday next week following allegations of corruption and poor management of revenue collected from the facility.
The decision follows the implementation of a letter dated February 13, 2026, from Mbale City Town Clerk Abirebe Assy Tumwesigire, which transferred the management of Mbale Central Market from the City Centre administration to the Mbale Industrial City Division Council.
Market vendors have raised concerns over the revenue collection system, claiming that the market no longer uses the Integrated Revenue Administration System (IRAS) but instead operates through the Interswitch platform, where they suspect revenue is being lost.
Speaking to Bugisu intellectual media, Madoi said the division passed a budget to renovate the market but wanted to visit the facility to see what's happening.
While assessing the market's operations the mayor and his team discovered numerous challenges affecting vendors despite their continued payment of taxes.
"Our records show that from February to date, only Shs18 million reflected, yet vendors continue to pay fees. Where is the money going? How can we improve hygiene, pay water and electricity bills, maintain roads in the division, support health services, and collect garbage when the revenue is misused?" Madoi asked.
He added that Mbale Central Market is larger than markets in Gulu and Soroti, which reportedly collect up to Shs100 million in revenue, raising questions about why Mbale is struggling to generate funds yet it's full to capacity.
"We have suspended the Market Master, Wambazu, and directed vendors to stop paying taxes until Monday. We want the division administration and the Town Clerk to oversee revenue collection and establish where the money is disappearing," he said.
Kenneth Onen, the Secretary for Health and Education at the Division, cited poor sanitation as one of the major concerns in the market.
He urged vendors to prioritize cleanliness, warning that disease outbreaks such as Ebola pose serious health risks.
"The market has gone nearly 10 years without a reliable water supply. We inspected the meat and fish sections as well as the toilets, and it is only by God's grace that people have remained safe. We are committed to improving these conditions," Onen said.
The Division Secretary for Finance, Councillor Hawa Namono, attributed the challenges to weaknesses in the market's financial management system.
"If local revenue is not reaching the division, service delivery will suffer. Road maintenance, water supply, electricity, and garbage collection all depend on proper revenue management," she noted.
Zaidi Wandulu, a Division Councillor from Mutoto Ward, said that the President declared this term to be “Kisanja No Sleep,” emphasizing that they have come to work for their people.
He noted that Mbale City Council has been operating this market illegally. According to the Local Government Act, divisions have the authority to manage all utilities and facilities within their respective jurisdictions.
Market vendor Wofidi Isima questioned the reported revenue figures, saying vendors contribute far more than the Shs18 million reflected in the records.
"If the market only collected that amount, then there must be ghosts taking our money. The people collecting revenue are simply thieves," Isima said.
He also noted that City council failed to pay for garbage collection, security, and the lack of water since 2016 despite increasing utility bills.
Geoffrey Magona, Chairperson of the Electronics, said verification of lock-ups remains one of the biggest challenges affecting revenue collection.
"City Council officials repeatedly come to verify lock-ups using different lists. Today, one vendor is issued a payment code to pay through Interswitch, and another person is later given a code for the same lock-up. This confusion has caused disputes among vendors and affected tax collection," Magona explained.
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