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Periodic Markets in Uganda

Martha Muragua is an urban planner in the Ministry of Housing and Lands in Kampala. Her master’s thesis focused on periodic markets in Uganda. Peter Kasaija at the UAL mentioned this to me and helped us get in touch with each other. Since completing her masters, she has continued to maintain an interest in this area of research. Meeting with her enabled me to think about a wider range of market forms. Some of the points of our discussion:

Periodic markets

  • Originate from ‘rural markets’ – bartering trade types

- Obutalebwomubulo (Buganda)

- Oxeni (East & North)

- Ekikomera (Ankole)

  • A few trucks used to come from rural markets to main centres ; today many smaller vans are hired to disperse goods in different areas, markets change location and are mobile.

  • More common in city with greater rural – urban migration.

  • Networks are key - groups come together to regulate & facilitate movement of goods

Roadside markets

  • Examples (all after Kira Road, beyond the Northen Bypass in greater Kampala)

- Njeerra 1

- Kyaliwajjala

- Naalya

  • Temporary structures constructed on uncultivated land (prior to using the land) prior to make money off of space

  • Lack of research on roadside markets – such as, who owns them and manages them.

  • Need to be visited a few of them at different times of the day to see full form and function (applicable to other markets)

Stationary Kampala’s markets (Owino, Nakasero and others)

  • Not being used as much because of mobile market actives in cities

  • Perhaps nature of stationary markets could change to start to reflect the nature of mobile markets?

  • Stationary markets need to focus on on accessibility and openness

  • Key points for vendors: Vantage, Accessibility, Visibility – are these factors achievable with stationary markets?

  • Lira market (out of Kampala) various people selling outside the built market

Suggestions

- Sensitivity Map

  • Which areas have been transformed into markets?

  • Relationships between mobile hubs, roadside markets and stationary markets (ie. distances, locations.)

  • How does this affects urban form?


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