By President Yoweri Museveni has commissioned the newly built Mubende Central Market and several tarmacked roads in Mubende Municipality. The Shs61.6 billion projects, undertaken under the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) Program, are part of a broader government effort to transform urban centers and support low-income earners.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Museveni emphasized that the market infrastructure was not meant for the wealthy, but for ordinary Ugandans especially small-scale traders trying to earn a living.
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“We are investing in organized and affordable trading spaces to empower the poor, not to create opportunities for the rich to dominate,” the President said to enthusiastic applause. He directed that priority be given to the women selling vegetables and youth with modest capital, warning that the affluent who already own businesses elsewhere must vacate such stalls.
President Museveni also used the event to call out local leaders for failing to protect vulnerable vendors from exploitative fees and illegal charges imposed by municipal officials.
“Why are leaders silent when technical officers like town clerks impose extortionate dues?” Museveni asked. “If you cannot defend those who elected you, then you are betraying them.”
He criticized the practice of charging high market dues, calling it a form of exploitation that deters small traders from making a decent living. “What sense does it make to overcharge someone selling tomatoes on a table?” he questioned.
The President promised to take stern action against corrupt municipal staff found extorting traders. “Any town clerk or technical officer who exploits vendors will be arrested. I will not allow anyone to grow rich off the sweat of the poor,” he warned.
He further called on Mubende residents to take pride in and maintain the new infrastructure, reminding them that it was built using public funds.
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“These roads and this market are yours. Look after them well, because if they deteriorate, it is you who will suffer,” Museveni said.
The upgraded market is expected to offer a safe, clean, and organized environment for hundreds of vendors who previously operated under informal and unhygienic conditions. The newly tarmacked roads will also ease transportation, cut costs, and make the town more attractive to investors.
The event underscored government’s ongoing commitment to inclusive development, ensuring that even the smallest earners have access to decent workspaces and economic growth.
“Our mission is to transform municipalities like Mubende into centers of opportunity for all,” the President concluded. “But that transformation must start with empowering the poor.”
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