By Steven Enatu
SOROTI CITY
The Soroti central market vendors have submitted a petition to parliament, calling for a forensic audit to investigate the alleged gross violation of procedures and guidelines in lockup allocations.
Moses Onyait, one of the vendors, presented the petition on behalf of others, accusing Resident City Commissioner Peter Pex Paak and deputy town clerk of deliberately flouting directives while stifling complaints.
Furthermore, the vendors expressed their concerns about exorbitant rates imposed by Soroti city’s Town Clerk and council without consent or guidance.
These issues have resulted in dwindling working capital, business collapse, vendor arrests due to loan payment defaults as well as violent confrontations.
These problems are attributed to various factors such as hijacking of allocation committee roles; absence of allocation letters and tenancy agreements; unnecessary arrests; extortion and bribery; high stall rates for water and electricity services; frequent power outages at the market; threats and intimidation towards vendors among other challenges that also include unwarranted eviction.
If left unattended, these obstacles could render this giant structure useless according to concerned vendors who are currently meeting with Parliament Committee led by Mapenduzi Ojara.
