Hoima market vendors practice open defecation

Hoima: Councilors from Hoima West City Division have raised serious concerns over the ongoing practice of open defecation at the Duhaga Roundabout Market, citing the absence of a public toilet as the root cause of the problem.

During a council meeting held on Thursday at Kitara Tourism Square, the councilors warned that the situation poses a major public health risk, increasing the city’s vulnerability to disease outbreaks such as cholera.

Edward Busiinge Ayesiga, the Hoima West Division Council Speaker, revealed that the market is not officially gazetted by the government, which complicates the provision of basic infrastructure.

“We cannot construct a permanent latrine on land that is not gazetted and more so not government-owned. The Duhaga Roundabout wasn’t gazetted by the government as a market place, those vendors are operating temporarily as government seeks land for a permanent market,” Busiinge explained.

Robert Ruhiigwa, the Mayor of Hoima West Division, acknowledged the efforts made by the area Member of Parliament, Asinansi Nyakato, but said they fall short of meeting the demand.

“There is a latrine that was offered by the area Member of Parliament, but it is not enough to handle all vendors because they are about 200,” Ruhiigwa noted.

Catherine Mbambu, the Hoima West Division Town Clerk, said that although health assistants are actively sensitizing vendors on the dangers of open defecation, enforcement is not possible at the moment.

“The health assistants are currently sensitizing the vendors, but we cannot arrest them since we haven’t provided them with a latrine,” she said.

The councilors are now calling for urgent intervention by the city authorities and stakeholders to address the sanitation crisis before it escalates into a public health emergency.

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