Market Zones

Recently, I have been spending more time in Owino market, observing everyday processes and activities but also conversing with vendors and different kinds of ‘authorities’. In June, I met with the Urban Action Lab (http://ual.mak.ac.ug/) - a research group within the Geography Department of Makerere University . I shared my research with them and gained valuable advice about undertaking my project in Kampala. One of my first questions was how to approach people in the market. What methods had they used and what would they recommend? One of the responses was using the ‘Abductive Method’ which this entails two main points. Firstly, developing relationships with the subjects concerned. For example, I would approach a vendor and introduce myself for a few minutes, after some time, I would return to the same vendor and extend the conversation and ideally, the conversations would become deeper and longer as trust is built with the vendor. The second part would be conversing interchangeably between ‘authorities’ and ordinary civilians (mixing top- down and bottom- up approaches). In my case, this would mean alternating between speaking to vendors, landlord, leaders and management team members (and others) to obtain a holistic view of my areas of focus. Through using the Abductive Method, I have learnt a great deal about the market’s history and various areas including: services, everyday space use, management and attitudes towards the development of the market.

The more I learn about the complex dynamics of management and general leadership, the more I understand how crucial existing structures of authority are for any project to be realised in this market. Owino Market is separated into 8 zones; these zones are a spatial representation of part of the leadership structure in the market. Each zone has zone leader and each house (within a zone) has a few leaders (numbers of leaders depend on the size of the house, but there are generally 7 leaders per house). I have spoken to a few house leaders, who have all been vendors owing their own stoles and have trading in the market for at least 20 years. Some of their roles include: problem solving, organising security and cleaning, meeting with other leaders to discuss issues with the market, points of contact and entry to house for new vendors. The leaders seem to be well known by various vendors who know where they located in their respective zones.

MARKET