Rubaga South MP, Aloysius Mukasa has finally spoken out following the incidents which happened today during his visit to the recently-opened New Busega Market, saying those were not his voters but goons hired to frustrate his work in his constituency.
While on a tour of Busega Market on Thursday, Hon Aloysius Mukasa was confronted by a mob of rowdy youths who blocked him from interacting with vendors. Allocation of space in the new Market facility, which was recently commissioned to accommodate vendors who have for a long time been operating in the same area, has become controversial with majority of vendors being kicked out and ineligible beneficiaries taking over the facility.
In an interview following the incidents, Hon Mukasa highlighted greed and bad politics sponsored by leaders at Kampala Capital City Authority, to be the key factors behind the unfortunate attack on him. In particular, Hon Mukasa blamed Lubaga NRM chairman Abdallah Kitatta for hiring goons to frustrate his efforts to respond to his voters’ grievances.
“I had for sometime received disturbing reports about the unfair allocation of the stalls in the market with claims that leaders were giving out stalls to ineligible beneficiaries. This is what prompted me to go on a fact-finding visit to the market.” Hon Mukasa said;
“When I reached there, I indeed spoke to the vendors who initially owned stalls in the old market but have been denied the space in the new market. I was surprised to hear that some the market stalls were given to people from Masaka and Jinja, who initially never owned stalls in the old market”
Hon Mukasa also said he found out that some of the leaders behind the confusion in Busega Market, earn salaries from government but they have gone ahead to allocated themselves stalls. Some of these stalls he says are being sold by their agents. Hon. Mukasa specifically mentioned the Minister for Kampala, Hon Minsa Kabanda, as having agents in the fraudulent allocation and sale of market stalls.
Hon Mukasa notes that Busega Market was constructed by government using a loan from the World Bank, and as an area MP, it is his role to conduct oversight on the market and ensure that eligible beneficiaries are given the first priority. He said it is very unfortunate that the allocation process has turned political and NRM supporters are the ones given the first priority to own the stalls.
Speaking about the violence meted on him, Hon Mukasa disputed claims that these were angry voters, saying the mobs were goons hired by Abdallah Kitatta to stop him from serving his people. He claims he received reports that the goons were ferried from Kisenyi and afterwards paid 50,000/ each for the services. He said these are the same goons who almost beat up Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago, when he visited the Market recently.
Going forward, Hon Mukasa said he has already shared what transpired during the whole process of allocating the stalls in Busega Market with the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Hon Joel Ssenyonyi, but he also vowed to bring the matter to the attention of Speaker Annet Anita Among, such that he can be allowed to raise the matter on the floor of Parliament and challenge the Minister for Kampala to ensure that the market serves the rightful beneficiaries.
