Kitgum Main Market, constructed as part of the Markets And Agricultural Trade Improvement Programme-2 (MATIP-2), was officially opened by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni during Uganda’s 61st Independence Day celebration in Kitgum District. The theme of the celebration was “Sustaining a United and Progressive Nation: Taking Charge of Our Future as a Free Nation.”
Kitgum Main Market, a significant component of MATIP-2, aims to enhance economic and social infrastructure within urban markets. The project’s objectives include promoting increased production and marketing of agricultural commodities, improving the livelihoods of vendors, creating more employment opportunities, and enhancing customer satisfaction.
The decision to develop Kitgum Main Market was informed by a feasibility study initiated by the Government of Uganda in March 2008. This study assessed the infrastructure and functional status of local markets across the country.
During the inauguration, Hon. Raphael Magyezi, the Minister for Local Government, informed President Museveni that the construction of Kitgum Main Market is one of 12 similar projects undertaken under MATIP-2. The total cost, inclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT), amounted to Shs24.55 billion.
Key features of Kitgum Main Market include stalls for fruit, vegetables, matooke, meat, dry and fresh fish, assorted shops, saloons, bulk stores, cold rooms, market administration offices, as well as meeting and prayer rooms. The market also provides support facilities such as utility rooms, control rooms, a solar system, CCTV surveillance, fire extinguishers, banking services, and SACCO facilities, in addition to ample parking space.
To ensure equitable access to the new market facilities, their allocation has been decentralized to the Urban Authority and Market Leadership. This approach prioritizes registered vendors and aims to optimize resource distribution.
The MATIP-2 initiative, an expansion of MATIP-1, was officially launched in March 2016. It focuses on redeveloping 12 markets in urban councils across various regions of Uganda and establishing three high-level value addition facilities in Arua, Busia, and Soroti.
